Becky Watts murder trial: Accused sent texts about kidnapping schoolgirls

Nathan Matthews (left) and Shauna Hoare (right) deny murdering Becky Watts

The man and woman accused of murdering Becky Watts exchanged text messages about kidnapping "a pretty girl", a court has heard.

Becky's stepbrother Nathan Matthews, 28, and his girlfriend Shauna Hoare, 21, deny murder.

Bristol Crown Court heard the pair sent Facebook messages and texts referring to pornography and schoolgirls months before Becky was killed.

The 16-year-old's dismembered body was found in a shed in March.

Crime intelligence analyst Shaun Groves told the jury Facebook conversations and instant messages were exchanged between Ms Hoare and Mr Matthews last November and December.

The body of 16-year-old Becky Watts was discovered in a shed in Bristol in March

The court heard one message sent on 20 November, from the Facebook profile of Mr Matthews, read: "Blonde school girls I be tapping? Hmmm LOL xxx".

Text messages exchanged on 9 December, the jury was told, read "Bring me back two pretty schoolgirls", and a reply of "LOL yeh, I will just kidnap them from school".

Another message read "Just went into Costcutters and saw a very pretty girl. Almost knocked her out to bring home LOL"

The reply ordered them to do it, the court heard.

Earlier Mr Groves told the court Ms Hoare had searched for online articles about the missing teenager on 23 February, four days after she was last seen alive.

On a day in which a juror was dismissed by the judge because he recognised a witness, the court heard Mr Matthews sent a text to his mother - Becky's stepmother - on 24 February, which said "the police have searched Shauna's house and obviously found nothing".

'Crazy'

He later sent a text to his boss saying he would not come into work for four weeks due to "major family issues".

"Everything is crazy, I'm very sorry," he wrote.

The court heard a log of phone calls between Mr Matthews and Karl Demetrius, who has pleaded guilty to assisting an offender, on the night Becky's body was allegedly moved to the shed, was deleted.

Mr Matthews, 28, of Hazelbury Drive, South Gloucestershire, admits killing his stepsister but denies murder and conspiring to kidnap her.

He also admits perverting the course of justice, preventing Becky's burial and possessing a prohibited weapon.

Miss Hoare, 21, of Cotton Mill Lane, Bristol, denies murder and conspiracy to kidnap, the weapons charge, perverting the course of justice and preventing a burial.

Two other men, Donovan Demetrius, 29, and James Ireland, 23, deny assisting an offender.

The trial continues.