A BROTHER accused of throwing acid in a woman’s face admitted he came to Southampton to sell drugs.

Billy Midmore told Southampton Crown Court he transported the crack cocaine and heroin from London to Southampton by wrapping them in condoms or cling film and swallowing them.

Midmore, 22, laughed in the dock as he started to give evidence yesterday, saying he “couldn’t help giggling when he was nervous”.

The court heard how Midmore was joined by his older brother, Geoffrey, in Southampton in August which is when the 26-year-old started to sell drugs.

It was the opening of the 22-year-old’s defence, who claims the cleaner containing sulphuric acid he is allegedly seen with in CCTV images shown to the court, was to help unblock a friend’s toilet at a friend’s home in Southampton.

Further images showed the brothers giving high fives and “fist bumps” to a friend just an hour after the alleged attack in Guildhall Square last September, which left Carla Whitlock virtually blind in one eye.

The brothers boarded a train with friend Joshua Gordon from Southampton Airport Parkway station to Basingstoke, where the court previously heard they then stayed with a friend Kirsty Nish.

Footage shown to the court showed the brothers visiting Homebase in Auckland Road on September 18, last year, the day of the attack.

From a statement previously read by prosecutor Kerry Maylin, The court previously heard from Carrie Lynne Lillywhite who served the brothers who had been asking for drain cleaner ‘One Shot’ but the store was out of stock.

Prosecutor Kerry Maylin told the court that records then showed the brothers had gone to Plumbase Southampton, a “walk away” from Homebase, and are believed to have bought One Shot, which has been named as the liquid which caused severe burns to Ms Whitlock’s face.

OIC trainee DC Robert Munroe told the court an image seized from a witness’s phone revealed Geoffrey Midmore sent a picture of a box of One Shot to a friend on What’s App with the caption: “This is the one. Face melter.”

Mr Munroe said they could tell from this photo that it was taken near Harley Davidson in Millbrook, near Plumbase.

CCTV footage from McDonald’s in Millbrook also showed them with a box claimed to be One Shot.

Jurors were also shown footage of a group walking through Guildhall Square outside of Turtle Bay where the attack happened.

Mr Munroe told the court that although it was difficult to make out definite faces CCTV following the group from London Road to the square and then towards the town centre showed there were “significant resemblances” to the Midmore brothers.

The court also watched Billy getting into a taxi at The Premier Inn to go and pick up his brother after the attack took place at around 9.15pm.

CCTV footage after the attack sees Billy, Geoffrey andgetting into the back seat while their friend Joshua Gordon getting a taxisits in the front.

As Geoffrey gets into the taxi, Billy repeatedly makes a ‘shush’ motion, holds his finger up to his mouth as a signal to be quiet while the taxi takes them to Southampton Airport Parkway where they got a train after 10pm.

Geoffrey Midmore, 26, has pleaded guilty to one count of causing GBH with intent.

Billy, 22, of no fixed abode has denied the same charge.