A BLOODIED hammer was found in a murder suspect’s mother’s home just days after a man was found dead in a Westcliff flat.

Paul May, 46, was found dead in a flat in London Road, Westcliff, on Sunday, February 13.

The flat, above a mini market, was rented by Abir Miah, 45, Basildon Crown Court was told on Monday during the first hearing of a murder trial expected to run for two weeks.

Arguing its case, the prosecution told the court blood from the victim was found on clothing and a hammer discovered at Miah’s mother’s east London home days after the killing.

A post-mortem examination found the victim would have died from “a heavy blunt object with a rounded head repeatedly striking blows,” the court heard.

He had also suffered two fractured ribs and a fractured left shoulder blade, “from blunt force trauma,” the prosecution said.

Miah and Mr May were “well known” to each other, and “addicted to Class A drugs,” the prosecution told the court.

The trial heard they had spent a lot of time together after Miah’s family had moved out of the flat just a month earlier.

Miah and Mr May, who was from Great Wakering, had been seen on CCTV going to and from the home together on multiple occasions in the days leading up to the killing.

Miah was seen leaving the flat at 5am on the morning of Sunday, February 13. He then travelled to Westcliff station.

From there, he took a train to London Fenchurch Street before being seen on CCTV near his mother’s home in east London later that day.

At about 1.20pm, Miah’s landlord visited the flat to obtain rent which had been late, only to find Mr May’s body.

Miah was arrested on Tuesday, February 15 and a subsequent search of his mother’s home found clothing and a hammer with the victim’s blood on it.

Miah told police in an interview he had treated a wound to Mr May’s leg the week before the killing, claiming it would explain why the blood was present on his clothing, the prosecution said.

Miah denies the charge of murder.

The trial continues.