A murder suspect told a court how he had become embroiled in a murder investigation after being a drug runner for only a couple of weeks.

Connall Cocker-Dawkins, 20, of Denmark Road, London, is standing trial accused of murder alongside Zakaria Lahrar, 19, of no fixed abode, and Lee Dowman, 50, of Lytton Road, Grays.

They all deny the charges brought against them.

Giving evidence at Basildon Crown Court on Tuesday, February 27, Cocker-Dawkins told of how he started working for a man known as Goldie as a drug runner, distributing cocaine and heroin to customers.

The former art student said: “I started working for Goldie at the beginning of August. I was a runner for him.

“I did this because it was coming close to my birthday and I saw an opportunity to make some extra money.”

The court heard how Cocker-Dawkins would be stationed in different areas and was told that he must serve customers from that location.

To begin with he was in the Barking and Dagenham area but he was later moved to South Ockendon.

While working for Goldie, whose real name is Louis Jordan, he went under the alias of Marcus - a system used by Goldie’s employees to protect their identity.

Cocker-Dawkins told of how on August 21 2017, Goldie moved him to a new location to sell drugs. This was 52 Eden Green in South Ockendon - the home that Daniel Adger had been chased out of before he was killed.

Cocker-Dawkins told the court that he had “fallen asleep after being up all night selling drugs”.

He was later awoken by a woman called Amanda Bloss, who Goldie had told Cocker-Dawkins to stay with.

She told Cocker-Dawkins that she had an appointment at the dentist and she needed to go.

Cocker-Dawkins told the court that they left 52 Eden Green but went to Ms Bloss’s mother’s house instead in Dart Green in South Ockendon.

While at the property, CockerDawkins received a phone call from Goldie, who was apparently “disappointed” after finding out that Cocker-Dawkins had moved from 52 Eden Green.

Cocker-Dawkins explained that he had taken Ms Bloss to her mother’s and Goldie told him that he needed a ‘reload’ - which is a topup of drugs.

He rang fellow murder suspect Lee Dowman, who Cocker-Dawkins told the court was “one of Goldie’s driver” who was also “a cocaine and heroin user”.

He later received a phone call from Daniel Boakye, who has pleaded guilty to the murder of Daniel Adger, who told Cocker-Dawkins that it would be him providing him with more drugs.

Cocker-Dawkins described Boakye as Goldie’s “substitute”.

Cocker-Dawkins was picked up by Lee Dowman, and got in a car with Amanda Bloss and fellow murder suspect Zakaria Lahrar.

They then went to a hotel at Lakeside to meet to Goldie and Daniel Boakye.

It was later revealed that Daniel Adger was killed that day. Boakye, 30, of Western Green, Dagenham, Cocker-Dawkins, Dowman and Lahrar were all later arrested and charged with murder.

Boakye has admitted murdering Daniel Adger is is awaiting sentencing.

The court previously heard how the victim screamed “they are going to kill me” before he was attacked with what witnesses described as a machete.

The trial continues.