Three friends savagely beat up and stabbed one of their mates, put his body in the boot of a car and then dumped it in a muddy layby in Nomansland, Wheathampstead, a jury was told yesterday.

Yesterday saw the start of a murder trial which is estimated to last up to five weeks.

Victim Mohim Miah, known as Mo, had been to school with brothers Anthony and Joseph Cross and the three of them together with Michael Taylor, had all been drinking and were together in Joseph Cross’s flat in Newgate Close, St Albans, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

"Whatever the reason, and we may never know what it was, they set about this unfortunate man," said prosecutor Graham Parkins QC in his opening address.

Mr Miah suffered multiple blunt impact wounds to his head, trunk and all four limbs and a weapon was used, such as a knife. His injuries included a fractured nose and mouth.

Mr Miah, who at the time of his death lived in Kent, had returned to St Albans to celebrate his 30th birthday which was two days after the day the attack took place. He died from blood going into his lungs.

His body was dumped a six minute drive away from the flat in a layby in Ferrers Lane, Nomansland, where it was found by a member of the public. His jean pockets were turned inside out and he no longer had the £309 he had got from selling a gold bracelet earlier in the day, in the company of Joseph Cross.

The prosecutor told the jury that Anthony Cross was said to have confessed to his sister Alisa: "Promise you are not going to tell anyone as you are the only one I can trust. We have done Mohim."

Anthony is alleged to have also said: "I've stabbed him five times."

And, when his sister said "Don't be stupid," Anthony alleged to have replied: "I'm not lying. I swear on my children's life."

She also recognised Joseph's voice in the background saying "He's in the boot of the car," the prosecutor claimed.

Anthony is then said to have added: "Seriously, he's in the boot of the car. We are going to have to dump him."

Anthony is alleged to have told his sister that Mr Miah "was going to kill everyone who has done things to him."

Anthony is also said to have sent his sister’s partner Kevin Murphy a text at 5.30pm on 18 November last year saying: "Mate, I just stabbed Mohim he's in my boot."

After a sleepless night and an argument with Alisa about telling police, Mr Murphy rang the police, said the prosecutor.

The prosecutor also told the jury of an alleged confession by Taylor to his girlfriend relating to the attack.

He said that Taylor was alleged to have told his girlfriend "I think we have just killed someone" and to have said that Joseph and Anthony Cross had "beaten up Mohim."

He allegedly also told her that Mr Miah had brought up an incident from years ago when he (Mr Miah) had stabbed Anthony in the lip.

He is alleged to have said they were all arguing in Joseph Cross’s flat and that Joseph started attacking Mr Miah, Anthony joined in and Joseph told him, Taylor, to put his foot on Mr Miah’s neck.

"As he did that, Joe stabbed Mo in the leg and Anthony slashed him in the face," claimed Mr Parkins.

He said that forensic evidence would establish that the assault happened in Joseph Cross’s flat, in Newgate Close, and that Mr Miah's body had been in the boot of a red Peugeot car, one of whose tyres conclusively matched a tyre mark in the layby.

He said that "extremely strong" forensic evidence also linked Anthony to the assault, supported the case that Joseph was in contact with the victim's wet blood, and that Taylor's clothes had links to the assault.

He continued: "All three were involved in the beating, the severity of which led to Mohim's death."

Anthony Cross, 31, of Green Lane, his brother Joseph, 27, of Newgate Close, and Michael Taylor, 27, of Bricket Road, all St Albans, all plead not guilty murdering Mohim Miah on 18 November last year.

The trial continues.