A MURDER trial today heard how two brothers fled to a friend's house moments after allegedly murdering a Hampshire newsagent.

Andrea Palmer, a friend of both Sam and Jon McKinley, told how they called on her in George Wright Close, Eastleigh, in the early hours of March 30.

Sam McKinley, 25, of no fixed abode, and Jon McKinley, 23, of Devon Drive, Chandler's Ford, both deny murdering Choudhry Zishan, 35.

The trial at Winchester Crown Court has heard that Mr Zishan was battered to death in Eastleigh High Street as he left to go to work. The brothers had been drinking in Eastleigh town centre.

Today Miss Palmer, 30, told the jury she had been a lifelong best friend of Emma Humby, Sam's girlfriend, but added "not any more."

She said she had become "really good friends" with the McKinleys and they frequently stayed at the home she shared with her seven year-old son.

"Sam and Emma had recently had a baby, that was going to be my goddaughter. We were very close and spent a lot of time together. They (the brothers) were amazing with my son. They were like my younger brothers."

On the night of the alleged murder the brothers were due to return to Miss Palmer's house to sleep. Miss Palmer said Sam was not allowed to stay at Emma's home, as Emma "had to prove she could be a mum."

Miss Palmer said she was awoken by a key in the front door.

"I heard them (the McKinleys) coming up stairs talking to each other. Someone said something about a hand and someone else said something about a foot. They got to the doorway and called my name. I told them to go downstairs. They were rambling, drunken chatter."

Downstairs Miss Palmer noticed that the washing machine was on, set to a 90 degree two-hour 'hot boil'. Sam lying on the sofa and Jon was in the garden smoking.

"I asked what had happened. I remember noticing Jon had no shoes on. I asked 'have you been in a fight'?

"Jon said "yes, but let me explain." I wouldn't let him. I didn't want to hear what he had to say."

"I was angry with Emma. I associated the reason I was angry with the reason they were there.

"I'm a single mum with a seven year-old son. If they had a fight, if they (the others) followed them to my home, what am I going to do?

"I said to Jon they had to go and told him to get Sam off the sofa. Jon wanted to explain but I didn't want to hear it. He asked if he could wait for his shoes. I could change the washing machine setting but I wanted them out, so I said no.

"I told them not to go to Emma's, they should go to their sister's or their mum's. I asked for my key and Jon gave it to me."

When the brothers had gone Miss Palmer switched the washing to a 14-minute cycle and took the contents out. They included a pair of trainers, two pairs of jeans and possibly a jumper, which she put in two plastic bags and put in the garden for the brothers to collect.

Asked about the brothers' drunkenness, Miss Palmer said: "They were both very drunk but in different ways. Jon was slightly more erratic. Sam just laid on the sofa with a quilt over his head."

After getting up, Miss Palmer spoke on the phone to her mother and Emma and heard the brothers had been arrested. She said she took the bag of clothes to Emma's home in Monks Way, Eastleigh, where she handed them to a police officer. "I said 'I have something in the boot of my car that I think you need'".

Under cross examination from Bill Mousley QC, representing Sam, Miss Palmer agreed that on leaving her home she heard Sam say to Jon: "Don't ever come near me again."

Proceeding