A MURDER trial jury was told police broke into a man’s flat after he failed to show up for work.

Bosses were worried about Graham Reeve, since he was a reliable employee and should have been at work on Monday July 6 last year.

Police found dried blood when they looked inside the Colchester flat, but no sign of Mr Reeve, 55.

While officers searched the flat, in Charles Pell Road, Mr Reeve was lying dead in another flat in the same block, Chelmsford Crown Court heard. They found him the following day, under a duvet cover.

He was allegedly dragged there, tortured and strangled because he refused to disclose his bank card security number.

A total of 47 injuries were found on his body, including a stab wound in his stomach and injuries on his arms, wrists and upper shoulders, suggesting he had been forcibly restrained.

There was also bruising to his face, consistent with punching and blunt instrument blows, the jury heard.

Eleven failed attempts were made to withdraw money from cashpoints.

The prosecution claims after each attempt, those responsible returned to further torture Mr Reeve, aiming to get his security code.

Hundreds of pounds of alcohol, food and cigarettes were bought using the card before supermarket staff refused to accept it any more, the court was told.

Trisha Levett, 28, Danny Howsego, 36, and Jon Williams, 22, all of Stanley Wooster Way, Colchester, all deny murder.

Levett and Howsego also deny robbing Mr Reeve of a bank card. Williams has admitted robbery.

Mr Reeve’s ordeal was said to have lasted from shortly after 4pm on July 4 until the early hours of the following morning, when he was allegedly strangled.

He had been drinking with friends in town centre bars on the afternoon of Saturday, July 4, before the attack.

When he failed to arrive for work, cleaning materials firm HG Hagesan two days later, he was reported missing to police.

The trial continues.