A Nottingham financial advisor, accused of battering a Mayfair millionaire to death after stealing £343,000 from him, told police he was confronted by a bloodstained mystery man outside the victim's apartment on the day of the murder, a jury heard today.
David Jeffs, 36, (pic.bottom) of Larch Close, Arnold denies murdering wealthy socialite Roberto Troyan, 63, who suffered fatal head injuries at his home in Mount Street on March 8.
Jeffs was in custody at HMP Belmarsh, charged with the murder, when he was questioned on June 4 about defrauding Mr. Troyan, (pic.top) who had received a large inheritance from his late civil partner, interior designer Anthony Feldman.
Croydon Crown Court heard Jeffs suddenly changed the subject and told police: "I was accosted by somebody coming from his flat, a man around my height, perhaps a bit heavier.
"He pushed me away and against the lift and told me it was none of my business and to go away.
"He had water splashed on him and blood around his wrists……I removed a speck mark from my face, a combination of water and blood."
Jeffs claims his clean-up continued in the lift and afterwards he twice telephoned Mr. Troyan "to see if he was okay."
The prosecution insist this account was fabricated by the defendant to explain away forensic evidence in the case.
During the same interview Jeffs told police that as well as acting as Mr. Troyan's financial advisor he was also his £1,000 per week 'financial concierge' - which would have resulted in additional earnings of £243,000.
"I did a lot of work for Roberto as a financial concierge, paying debts, his storage bill, negotiating, dealing with disagreements with landlords and letting agents, dealing with damage to rented property, unpaid rents and bailiffs," Jeffs told police.
"It was just a verbal contract and he back-dated it to two-thousand and eight," added the defendant, agreeing the wages were paid by cheque and he did not report the extra earnings to the taxman.
"Roberto was quite a difficult character to take care of his finances and would build up bills and would ignore the first and second demands."
Jeffs said he would meet Mr. Troyan three times a week and they would go through old bills together and would chat on the phone almost daily.
Jeffs has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr. Troyan on March 8 and defrauding him between March 1, 2010 and December 2, last year.
He was employed by London and Weybridge, Surrey-based HFM Columbus, a partnership of financial and wealth management firms and invested £1.2 million for Mr. Troyan in an off-shore bank.
However, the jury were told he abused his client's trust, buying himself two Lotus sports cars, blowing £19,500 in one night at lap dancing club Spearmint Rhino and treating himself to "expensive" holidays in the USA, Mauritius and Ibiza.
There were also VIP rugby and polo events, stays at expensive hotels, meals at top restaurants, a £1150 night at celebrity West End club Chinawhite and evidence of cocaine and ecstasy use.
Mr. Troyan was one half of the first-ever civil partnership in the UK and Mr. Feldman's clients included Princess Michael of Kent and Jonathan Aitken.
He was found on his blood-splattered kitchen floor by his cleaner and had suffered multiple skull fractures, a fractured jaw, cheek and eye-socket and had inhaled blood into his airways.
The trial continues………….
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