The son accused of killing his mother and her friend in Stansted could have written a letter of apology, the prosecution claims.

Brett Rogers, 23, is on trial for the murder of Gillian Phillips, 54, and her friend David Oakes, 60, of Mountfitchet Road, Stansted, on July 22 last year at the Bentfield Gardens home where he lived with his mother.

He denies murder and says that he found them at home after someone else killed them.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard a torn note in a brown envelope was found several days later in a bag in a wheelie bin in the garden.

Prosecutor Simon Spence QC alleges the DNA on the paper and envelope matched the defendant.

He told the court: “The Crown suggests that having committed both these horrific killings, the defendant may well have sat down to write some form of apology before making the 999 call.”

The paper had been torn into 1cm strips and it was impossible to piece together the sections to get the full text of what had been written.

Partial words and phrases, however, were found.

Essex Police investigating officer Wendy Napper told the court she deciphered “I love you so much”; “or else”; “kill” with a “d” next to it; and “end”.

Forensic document expert Elizabeth Briggs, giving evidence, said there were probably 200 pieces of randomly torn paper.

The letter “I” appeared 65 times; the word “love” 43; “I love you”, eight times; “you” 31; “love you”, 14; “much”, 78; and “as well” 34.

In addition she said she made out “uck”; “fill”; “fu”; “feeling”; “kn”; and “kille” with an undecipherable end character.

She said, in cross-examination, there was more than one document torn up.

The jury also heard today that a total of seven knives were found in the overflowing kitchen bin by a crime scene investigator.

There were four black handled knives, one with some of the handle missing and one with blood on the blade; a yellow and a blue Stanley knife; and a red handled knife. There was also a screwdriver and blood stained clothing.

The trial continues.