A woman broke down in tears as she told a jury how she found out a friend she assaulted had died.

Tracey Gazzard, 29, insisted she did not see the body of Charmaine Dempsey, who was found battered to death in Crawley in December last year.

Gazzard has admitted manslaughter on grounds she assaulted the dead woman but did not intend to kill her.

Stephen Johnstone, 26, and Alex Gallacher, 33, have both denied murdering Ms Dempsey, 48, at her flat in Ivory Walk, Bewbush.

Gazzard, who was Gallacher's girlfriend at the time of the alleged murder, said she slapped Ms Dempsey during a drinking session at her flat on November 28 after they rowed about children.

Johnstone had threatened her with violence if she did not hit Ms Dempsey and then he held her arm to make her strike Ms Dempsey again.

She said she fell asleep and when she woke up Ms Dempsey, who was drunk, was helped to bed. The next morning, she said, Johnstone called at Ms Dempsey's flat and found her dead.

Gazzard, who was living with Gallacher and Johnstone in Neptune Close, Crawley, went to the flat but did not go into the bedroom to see the body.

During cross-examination at Lewes Crown Court yesterday, she said she never saw any violence by the two men towards Ms Dempsey. But Gallacher had told her Johnstone had "done most of it".

The court has heard Ms Dempsey's body was discovered about a month after she is believed to have been killed.

A post-mortem revealed she had died of multiple injuries and may have been hit, kicked and stamped on.