The son accused of murdering his mother and her friend told his father he didn’t kill her, a court heard today (Wednesday).

Brett Rogers, 23, in on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court charged with killing his mother Gillian Phillips, 54, and David Oakes, 60, at Bentfield Gardens, Stansted Mountfitchet, on July 22 last year.

Today, on the second day of the trial, his father Peter Rogers said that while son Brett was on remand, he asked him about the killing. “I asked him and he just says ‘I never done it’,” he told the court.

Peter Rogers, a self employed electrician of Barrells Down Road, Bishop’s Stortford, also said that his son got on better with Gillian Phillips than he did with his father.

“He was doing the cleaning, vacuuming, cutting the grass, doing all sorts. Generally it couldn’t have been better. It was great, no arguments that I know of,” he told the court

The jury heard that Brett Rogers previously pleaded guilty to causing GBH with intent after fracturing his father’s eye socket in 2012 and had been jailed.

Yesterday, the court was told that Brett Rogers lived with his mother at her home in Bentfield Gardens. Mr Oakes lived nearby at Mountfitchet Road, Stansted.

Ms Phillips was found dead at home after Brett Rogers called 999 at 10.54pm. Mr Oakes was found covered in blood but still bleeding. He was treated by paramedics but died shortly after.

Brett Rogers, who was found outside the house, was arrested later that night. He says someone else killed the pair.

The case continues.