A triple killer calmly carried out drugs deals with the brother of one of his victims only months after the fatal shooting, a court heard.

Michael Steele, 55, lured Patrick Tate and two associates to a country lane in Rettendon in December 1995 and shot them dead over a drugs dispute.

Only three months later, Russell Tate helped Steele smuggle cannabis resin, prosecutor Andrew Munday QC told Woolwich Crown Court.

Mr Munday said: "Steele, having killed Patrick Tate, was involved with Russell Tate as if nothing had happened."

Tate, 36, of Benfleet Road, Hadleigh, helped organise the delivery of drugs from Spain to the Belgian coast for transportation to England, claimed Mr Munday.

Tate - along with six others including Michael James, 32, of Ryedene Place, Pitsea - denies conspiring to smuggle cannabis resin between March 25 and May 14, 1996.

Police and customs officers allegedly watched the importation of half a million pounds of cannabis resin to Clacton.

An aeroplane with a thermal imaging camera followed a boat from the Suffolk coast to Belgium where bags of the drug were loaded up.

He told the jury that Tate and James were part of the team which went to Spain.

Referring to the triple murder, Mr Munday said it was a "dark side" of the case which happened after poor quality cannabis was delivered and Steele "fell out" with Patrick Tate.

He said: "The row between Steele and Tate got to such a pitch, Steele decided to end that row by killing him."

The other two men murdered were Tony Tucker, 38, of High Road, Fobbing, and Craig Rolfe, 26, of Calshot Avenue, Chafford Hundred. They had been involved in a deal with Pat Tate, 37, of Gordon Road, Basildon, Steele, of St Mary's Road, Great Bentley, and Whomes, 36, of Main Road, Brockford, Suffolk.

Whomes and Steele were each jailed for life in January this year for the murders. They do not appear in the dock charged with the 1996 drug importations.

The case continues.

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