THE man accused of stabbing to death his former step-mum said he never wanted her dead and called her murder "sickening".

Giving evidence for a second day at Winchester Crown court, Ben Carr described the moment Justin Robertson revealed that their plan to "scare" Pennie Davis had "gone wrong".

He told jurors that Robertson told him he and Pennie had a "scuffle" in the horse field at Leygreen Farm, Beaulieu, during which she had pulled off his balaclava, revealing his identity.

Carr said that Robertson explained that he "panicked", stabbing her three times and expected that she was dead.

He said his head started to spin and that his "worst nightmare had come true".

He added: "I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I didn't know if I could believe him, I sort of know Justin and thought he's not capable of doing something like this."

He said he never wanted Pennie dead and when asked what he had wanted he replied: "Her to leave my family alone, let myself and my family get on with our lives and her to get on with her new life with her new husband and her family."

Asked why he never told police any of this during his interviews, he said it was because he feared for his safety and the safety of his family as Robertson had told him to keep his mouth shut.

He was also asked about the threats made to him by Robertson when Robertson was giving his evidence and Carr said that to him they meant he was "coming to kill me".

Earlier in the morning Carr explained how the pair hatched the plot to scare the 47-year-old mum of five.

He said that he first agreed to give Robertson £1,500 in fake money as it had street value, but later Carr said Robertson changed his mind and wanted £400 in real cash and seven grams of high purity cocaine.

He said the plan which Robertson described as "easy work" was to warn Pennie to stay away from Carr's family and his dad's upcoming wedding.

Robertson said he was going to take rope to tie up her hands and wear a balaclava to hide his face.

After Robertson followed her for a few days, they decided the horse field was the best location because it was "quiet".

When asked how serious the threats to Pennie were going to be, Carr said: "Very serious, shake you to the core."

When asked why he felt the need to get an alibi on September 2, Carr, who has no previous convictions, said it was because he viewed what they had planned was a "serious thing".

Robertson, 36, of no fixed abode, denies murder and conspiracy to murder.

Carr, 22, of Edward Road, Shirley, denies conspiracy to murder.

Samantha Maclean, 28, of Beech Crescent Hythe, denies conspiracy to murder.

Proceeding.