Becky Watts: Neighbour Describes Unusual Noises

A next door neighbour of the pair accused of murdering teenager Becky Watts has told a court she heard a series of unusual noises coming from their home.

Sarah Webb told Bristol Crown Court that Nathan Matthews and Shauna Hoare seemed to have a half-hour long heated argument on the day before the 16-year-old vanished earlier this year.

The next day she described hearing "lots of running up and down stairs, banging, scraping, doors slamming" at the home in Cotton Mill Lane, Bristol.

She added: "It sounded like furniture being moved."

Ms Webb said she also heard a suitcase being taken across a wooden floor.

Also on Thursday, the court heard Becky's boyfriend Luke Oberhansli had gone to her home in St George, Bristol, after she had not been replying to his text messages.

Mr Oberhansli, now 18, went to the property just hours after she had been killed and when he knocked on the door Hoare answered, the trial was told.

He said he spoke to Hoare and she spoke to Becky's stepmother, Anjie Galsworthy, and both women went to check the teenager's bedroom - leaving him waiting on the doorstep, the court heard.

He told the trial: "They looked in Becky's room and she wasn't there, so Anjie said she would let Becky know I had knocked when Becky was home."

He added that he remained on the doorstep the whole time. "I think Anjie said to me it was strange that Becky was not replying to my text messages," he said.

Prosecutors allege that by this time Becky was already dead, having been murdered by Hoare, 21, and boyfriend Matthews, 28, in her home.

It is alleged her body was then put in the boot of the couple's Vauxhall Zafira car and left outside Becky's house until the evening, when they drove home.

On Wednesday, the jury was told the dismembered parts of Becky's body were discovered in suitcases hidden in a shed in a nearby property.

Matthews, Becky's stepbrother, admits killing the teenager but denies murder.

Prosecutor William Mousley QC explained to the jury that the case will in due course examine what Matthews' intentions were at the time.

Matthews has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, preventing the lawful burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon, but denies conspiracy to kidnap.

Mr Mousley said it was his case that Becky's death "was no accident."

Hoare, Matthews' girlfriend, is charged with murder, conspiracy to kidnap, perverting the course of justice, preventing the lawful burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon.

She denies all of the counts.

A close friend of Becky told the court she was "in a happy mood" just hours before she was killed.

In one of her final text messages to the friend Becky wrote: "I love you so much."

The written statement was read in court and confirmed that everything seemed normal before she disappeared on 19 February this year.

The trial continues.