A teenager told a jury yesterday (Wednesday July 2 2008) how he threw away a mobile phone that belonged to murder victim Robert Gill.

Tom Allen, 18, told Luton crown court the phone had been given to him by one of the three teenagers who are accused of Robert's murder.

Mr Allen said he received the phone from a 15-year-old, who the court has been told was arrested and charged with the murder just days later.

Mr Allen claimed he threw the phone away after police had come to his home to question him about what he knew concerning Robert Gill's death.

He was giving evidence on day six of the trial and confirmed that as a result his actions he himself has been charged with perverting the course justice and is awaiting sentence.

The teenager alleged to have given Mr Allen the phone, now 16, is on trial with two others accused of Robert's murder.

He together with Sean Downes, 18, of Acacia Road, Bedford and Thomas Ludington, 18, of Dunam Close, Bedford all plead not guilty to murdering 17-year-old Robert Gill, who drowned after being throw into the River Great Ouse in Bedford in the early hours of December 27 last year.

Mr Luddington has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Robert as well as robbing him and falsely imprisoning him.

Mr Downes and the 16-year-old deny both charges.

The prosecution claim the three defendants attacked Robert in the early hours of December 27 last year after he a left the New York New York nightclub in Bedford.

Robert had become separated from his older brother who was still in the club and its clamed he was easy pickings for the group who first set out to rob him before assaulting him and then throwing him in the river

In the witness box Tom Allen said he had been good friends with the 16-year-old defendant.

He confirmed that in September of 2007 his friend's father had died in a car crash while visiting Pakistan which resulted in his friend having money.

He said on one occasion the boy had bought drinks for everyone in The Briclayers Arms pub in Bedford and the bill came to 170 pounds.

On Boxing Day evening he said he had gone into Bedford town centre with the teenager who again was forking out money for all the drinks, taxi rides and games of pool.

He said that evening he met Mr Downes and Mr Ludington who he described as "bad boys."

The court heard how following the death of Robert Gill, the 16-year-old defendant is alleged to have given Mr Allen a mobile phone taken from him shortly before he was thrown in the river.

He said as a result of the police coming to his home to talk to him on January 2 2008 - the day after the three youths had been arrested - he decided to get rid of the phone by throwing it in a river.

He also agreed he hadn't told the police the whole truth when questioned by them.

A 16-year-old girl told the court she had been out in Bedford on Boxing Day night with Mr Allen and the 16-year-old defendant.

She said two days later all three of them travelled to Lowestoft to visit Mr Allen's mother.

But she said before setting off the youngster asked to be driven to Ampthill so he could check that some clothes had been burnt.

She said she had been present the day before - December 27 - when the youth ha also given M Allen a mobile phone, claiming he had bought two from someone in Bedford town centre.

The girl said she was later with Mr Allen when, following the visit to his home by police, he decided to throw the phone in the river at Clapham.

Anthony Gumm told the jury he was at a party in Bedford on New Years Eve at which Mr Downes was present

He said he heard a friend of his called Slick at one point during the night ask Mr Downes "Are you capable of murder?"

Mr Gumm said he picked up on "bits and bobs" of the conversation between the pair and heard a reference to fight down by the river.

"I also heard Downsy on about something about they were on a bridge and Thomas came along and basically threw him in."

He said Mr Downes spoke of Thomas Ludington then going down beside the river bank and the boy crying.

Asked to look at a statement he (Mr Gumm) had made to police, Timothy Spencer QC prosecuting then read out an extract to the court.

In the statement Mr Gumm had said, "I heard Downes say they had had a fight with a boy from Shortstown."

It went on, "I heard Downes say 'I kicked him in the back of the head a couple of times.' Downsey also said that Thomas Luddington had been walking by the river and came up when he knew there had been a fight. I heard Downes say that Thomas Luddington grabbed the lad and threw him in the river."

In the statement Mr Gumm also told detectives how he had heard Sean Downes say that the 16-year-old defendant had also hit Mr Gill and because he had been wearing a lot of Indian gold rings he and Mr Luddington had told him to "Throw the rings."

Mr Gumm also claimed to have heard Mr Downes say to his friend Slick "The clothes have been burned."

The case continues