JURORS in the trial of a man accused of the murder of Hannah Foster have been urged not to “fall for his lies”.

In a stark warning to the jury, prosecutor Nicholas Haggan, QC, said there was overwhelming evidence that pointed to Maninder Pal Singh Kohli as the killer Kohli was “absolutely ruthless, a compulsive liar” who had abducted, raped and then strangled Hannah, 17, in April 2003, Winchester Crown Court heard as part of the prosecution’s closing speech.

Kohli denies all the charges against him.

They also heard from Abbas Lakha QC, defending, who stated that Kohli had been the victim of lies and had been framed by a work colleague.

Mr Lakha said James Dennis, his wife Carole Dennis and brother Jonathan had set up Kohli because he owed Mr and Mrs Dennis some £16,000 and had been blackmailing James over an affair with Carole.

However, Mr Haggan spoke of the evidence given by Kohli, 41, formerly of Broadlands Road, Portswood, Southampton.

“There before you stood a man who was prepared to say and do anything to avoid conviction, a compulsive liar who lied from the start to the end of his evidence, no matter what the impact on completely innocent people.”

He said Kohli concocted a story, wriggling to fit it around facts he could not dispute.

His DNA was found on Hannah’s body so he claimed he had been abducted and forced to have sex with her.

Mr Haggan said the evidence – DNA, CCTV, mobile phone records and the flight to India – is “absolutely overwhelming.

Don’t fall for his story, his lies.”

But Mr Lakha said: “The prosecution case is based on circumstantial evidence.

There is not a single piece of direct evidence.

“There is no direct evidence it was Kohli driving the van that night; no CCTV showing him to be the driver; there’s no witness who spoke of him being the driver; there’s no evidence Kohli abducted her; there’s no evidence that he raped her, nor direct evidence that it was Kohli who killed her; no direct evidence that he dumped her body.

Proceeding.