A MAN accused of conspiring to murder his father’s secret wife drove her body to Hengistbury Head before calling his girlfriend for a lift, a court heard yesterday.

Prosecutors allege that Jonathan Legris drove a Fiat Punto with the body of 44-year-old Rui Li in the boot to Verwood Crescent on Wednesday, May 28, 2014.

It is alleged that, earlier the same day, he had received a call from his mother to say that his father, Pierre Legris, had been arrested on suspicion of murdering Ms Li.

Two days later, on Friday, May 30, crime scene officers discovered Ms Li’s half-dressed body in the back of the vehicle.

Giving evidence before jurors, Lisa Franklin – who had been in a relationship with the defendant for around three months – said the 27-year old had called her at around midday asking for a lift.

“He said, ‘Can you pick me up?’,” she said.

“I said, ‘Where are you, the police station?’, because he’d said that was where he was going, and he said, ‘No, I’m at Hengistbury Head’.”

Ms Franklin said she asked Jonathan Legris how he came to be in the area when she picked him up, and he told her he had been “for a walk”.

She added: “He did quite a lot of running – he is quite a fit person.

“I assumed he’d gone for a run.”

Pierre Legris, 62, of Burnham Drive, denies murder but admits bigamy.

Jonathan Legris, 27, of Spring Road, denies conspiracy to commit murder and assisting an offender.

Irene Smith, 66, of St Clement’s Road, denies conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of perverting the course of justice.

The trial, which is being held at Winchester Crown Court, continues.

‘Lovemaking’ texts sent to plumber

Murder accused Pierre Legris told a plumber his secret wife wanted to “make love” to him, the court heard.

Robert Graham claims that the 62-year-old texted him about Rui Li after the couple asked him to complete work to their Burnham Drive home.

He alleged that Pierre Legris said “Rui really likes you” when the two men were alone, and said he received text messages from the defendant after agreeing to carry out the work – one read: “There are tea-making facilities at the bungalow and also a six-foot bed for you and my wife to play on”, the court heard.

Mr Graham alleged he decided not to take on the work after receiving a final message from Pierre Legris, which read: “What do you think of Rui? She wants to make love to you.”

The witness said that when he saw Ms Li at the hospital, she seemed “completely oblivious” to the messages he had received from the defendant.