THE man who first suggested Maninder Pal Singh Kohli as a suspect in the abduction and murder of a Southampton student knew more about her disappearance that he admitted to police, a court has heard.

During cross-examination of James Dennis defence counsel for Kohli, Abbas Lakha QC, accused Mr Dennis of telling "a series of lies".

Mr Lakha said Mr Dennis had: "Lied, time and time again to the police and subsequently to this court."

Saying he had withheld information when he named Kohli to police following an appeal on BBC's Crimewatch, he said: "You didn't suspect Mr Kohli, that's right isn't it?

"You knew perfectly well what had happened, didn't you?

"You knew how Hannah Foster came to be abducted and you knew that Kohli wasn't responsible for it."

Mr Dennis replied: "That's a lie."

Mr Lakha continued: "I suggest that right from the very first phone call you told a series of lies to the police."

Turning to the phone call Mr Dennis made on March 27, Mr Lakha said: "Your wife forced you into it. You didn't want to make that call.

"It is because no doubt, you were worried that if you made that call then your role in what had happened might emerge."

Mr Dennis again replied: "That's a lie."

Mr Lakha said Mr Dennis had made no attempt to tell the police that he had spoken to Kohli while he was in India.

Turning to the matter of Mr Dennis "lending" Kohli substantial sums of money Mr Lakha said that on one occasion Mr Dennis handed over £1,000 which he had explained to police was to help pay for a very substantial gas bill.

Winchester Crown Court was told how Mr Dennis was interviewed many times about the money he had given to Kohli. Mr Dennis replied: "They thought he had some sort of hold over me or I had some sort of hold over him."

Kohli, 40, of no fixed abode, denies the abduction, rape and murder of Hannah Foster, 17, who went missing after a night out with friends on March 14.

Her body was discovered lying by a roadside at Allington Lane two days later.