A group of men who are accused of murdering a drug dealer allegedly took cocaine while they were heading toward his home in Exeter.
One of the defendants in the murder trial at Exeter Crown Court told police he went to victim Steven Crook's flat in Alphington Road to buy £80 of drugs but found he had already been attacked by others.
Ryan Singleton later changed his story and said he had been in the flat when Mr Crook had been attacked by others who he claimed to be too frightened to name.
Mr Crook, aged 43, was stabbed or slashed ten times in an alleged robbery last November and died from loss of blood.
The prosecution say former neighbour Steven Webster, who is now living in Okehampton, set up the raid which was carried out by four men from Coventry who came to Devon for a drink and drugs binge.
The jury have been told the five men believed he had £20,000 in cash or drugs at his house but escaped with only around £1,000, jewellery, a laptop and other valuables.
The prosecution allege Webster helped the other four gain access to the flat, which was guarded by a CCTV system, and the other four then carried out the attack with knives they had just bought at the nearby Sainsbury store.
They say after the attack the group went to Okehampton to buy drugs and then went to'celebrate' at the Spice Lounge restaurant in Exmouth and the Exeter Arms Hotel at Middlemoor, Exeter.
Steven Webster, aged 40, of East Street, Okehampton; Ryan Singleton, aged 26, of Howcotte Green, Canley, Coventry; Darren Twigger, aged 40, of John Rous Avenue, Canley; Bradley Richardson, aged 18, of Prior Deram Walk, Canley; and Anthony Martin, aged 22, of Gerard Avenue, Canley, all deny murder and robbery.
The jury have been told of Singleton's reaction when he was told he was being linked to the murder.
He was initially arrested on suspicion of drink driving after going into a Tesco store in Cowick Street, Exeter, in the early morning after the alleged murder.
Staff called the police because they were concerned about his inebriated state and were concerned he may be driving. It was only after his arrest that detectives linked him to the events in Alphington Road.
Detective Constable Paul Burrow said he went to Singleton's cell at Heavitree Road police station to re-arrest him on suspicion of murder.
He told the jury:"I cautioned him and he said 'drink driving and now murder. You lot are taking the piss. Murder, f***ing murder, no f***ing murder'"
DC Burrow said Singleton explained a cut on the inside of his arm by saying he injured it while leaning through a broken window to fetch a pitch fork while working as a roofer.
He said he knew Webster, who he called Pops, because they shared a cell at Channings Wood Prison, and came down with some friends for a drink and drugs session.
He told police they had all been taking cocaine in the car on their way to Exeter.
In his early interviews he said he went to a house in Exeter to buy £80 of 'sniff' but found a man with head wounds at the address and left after reclaiming the money.
He later went to Okehampton with the others and bought £120 worth of cocaine before returning to the hotel in Exeter.
He later said he had been at the victim's flat with other men who he refused to name. He alleged they had assaulted him and stabbed him in the arm.
He told police he would rather say he killed Mr Crook than name the others because he believed his mother and father in Coventry would be at risk if he did so.
