THE jury was also played excerpts from a covert police tape of a conversation between Turner and his mother, more than two weeks after Emily died.

In this recording, the defendant told his mother: “When I say my mind is going nuts, it is. When I say I am going crazy, I am.”

The prosecution alleges Turner strangled Emily, a Brockenhurst College student from New Zealand, in his bedroom in his family home in Queenswood Avenue, Queens Park, on May 7 last year.

While Emily visited her parents in New Zealand, during April, he sent a string of texts to friends asking them to threaten her, the court heard.

He also threatened to “spark her out” in one of these messages, it was alleged.

One text to a friend read: “I need you to scare her (Emily) and tell her the rules when she's back”, the hearing was told.

Turner, who is accused of murder, was also earlier asked why he waited one hour after he realised something was wrong with Emily before the emergency services were called.

Turner said he didn’t realise she was dead as he was “no paramedic”.

He is also accused, with his parents Leigh Turner, 54, and Anita Turner, 51, of perverting the course of justice.

All three deny the charges.

The trial continues.