A MAN accused of murdering his twin brother was placed on round the clock surveillance the day after the fatal incident took place, a court heard.

Robert Cerqua was arrested at a New Year's Eve house party hours after his brother Christopher was fatally stabbed at their home in Langdown Road, Hythe.

Winchester Crown Court heard how Robert, 31, had to be reminded by a solicitor in his cell the next morning that he had been arrested on suspicion of Christopher's murder.

The sobering revelation caused an emotional Robert to sit on the cell floor with his legs crossed, it was heard in court.

Jurors heard how Robert was arrested by police at an address in Abbotsfield, Totton , at around 2.20am on New Year's Day.

Arresting officer PC Christopher Jones, who is based at Netley police station, told the court how he found a drunk Robert on a stool leaning up against the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

PC Jones said: "I took hold of his arms and asked him his name.

"He initially didn't reply.

"He was quite unsteady on the stool and slurring his speech.

"He confirmed he was Robert Cerqua. He was wearing a baseball cap, it appeared to have a fresh blood stain on the rear of it.

"I said I am arresting you on suspicion of murder. I then cautioned him and gave him the necessity for arrest."

PC Jones said he escorted Robert to a marked police van but he fell asleep in the back, only to wake up when it arrived at Southampton Central police station.

In the custody suite, he was told his brother had been fatally stabbed and suspected he had been responsible, the court heard.

PC Jones added: "At that point he seemed to figure out what was happening and he became extremely emotional and upset.

'He said "Is he dead? You're lying he can't be?" He kept repeating those words or similar to that affect.

"I escorted him to his cell with officers behind me, he said to me: 'Was it me, was it me? I can't remember, honestly is my brother dead?'.

"I remember nodding to him saying 'yes it's true'. He was then out under constant supervision where two officers sat outside the cell."

In a statement read out in court by prosecutor Nicholas Haggan, detention officer David Gore described supervising Robert in his custody cell.

He said he took over from other officers overseeing Robert in an open door cell at around 8.30am.

He said: "The time I took over Mr Cerqua was lying on his front and appeared to be sleep. He then awoke and wanted to know why he had been arrested.

"I said that there had been a serious assault.

"At 8.55 hours Mr Cerqua spoke to his solicitor on an intercom system on the cell. Because of the constant observation I was able to hear the conversation.

"When the solicitor told him that he had been arrested on suspicion of murder he went quiet and sat down crossed legged near the door.

"Mr Cerqua became quite emotional and tearful."

Robert Cerqua, 32, of Langdown Road, Hythe, denies murder.

The trial continues.