A man accused of murdering a Shropshire “gentle giant” admitted choking his victim during a robbery but said that his friend was also to blame.

He claimed his friend continued choking the victim as he lay fighting for his life, a court heard.

The jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday heard what Jabu Mbowane and Gabriel Bhengu told detectives about Neil Williams’s murder during hours of police interviews after they were arrested.

The two men, both 26, from Wolverhampton, deny the murder on April 5 last year in Stirchley.

Mr Williams, 41, of Calcott, Stirchley, Telford, was found dead on the footpath off Churncote on April 6.

The men and Bhengu’s girlfriend Kashia Allen, 22, also from Wolverhampton also deny murdering Andrew Owen in Sedgley 10 days later.

Detectives told Bhengu that his friend, Mbowane, had admitted they were involved and alleged Bhengu had attacked Mr Williams from behind by putting his arm around his neck.

Bhengu, who had denied any involvement in the attack, then issued a prepared statement to detectives. It said: “I did strangle them (Mr Williams and Mr Owen), Jabu as well. He was choking them as well.”

Bhengu told police Mbowane also kicked their two victims as they lay on the ground, before the pair fled the scene with stolen jewellery, mobile phones, wallets, trainers and jackets.

Bhengu told police his girlfriend of four years, Allen, did not know what they were doing during the attacks as she just drove them where they told her.

Both men and Allen also deny a string of robberies, including the robbery of Tracie Paxton in Telford.