A sex worker was murdered by one of her regular customers who drove her body to a remote lay-by in North Hertfordshire, a jury heard today (Thursday, May 9).

Victoria Greenwood, 41, was picked up in Luton town centre by Robert Brown who “had been having dark and disturbing thoughts about killing and death”.

He drove her back to his flat where they engaged in sexual activity before, at 1.53am on November 10 last year, she fled while only partially clothed.

John Lloyd-Jones KC, for the prosecution, said CCTV from the back of the rented flat in Hitchin Road showed 38-year-old Brown grabbing her and dragging her back inside.

The prosecutor said: “This defendant was naked. She was partially clothed. The defendant was clearly attacking her - he was standing over her.

"She was on her front and on floor. He dragged her with one hand on hair and one hand on face. He dragged her back into the property. It is plain she is trying to resist.

“Victoria Greenwood was not seen alive again. Having murdered her, he did not call emergency services. Instead, in order to cover up what he had done he packed Victoria Greenwood’s body into a wooden furniture unit and put it into his car.”

The prosecutor said he drove to Cat Ditch Road near Wallington, east of Baldock, where he took her body out of his white Fiesta, poured petrol on it and set it fire.

Mr Lloyd-Jones said: “He did so intending to destroy evidence and cover up what he had done to her.”

Brown, of Hitchin Road in Luton, denies murdering Victoria Greenwood between November 9 and 15 last year.

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The prosecutor said that in the period leading up to the murder there was evidence that Brown had been having “dark and disturbing thoughts about killing and death".

He is said to have told a work colleague about “rabbit punching” - when a man punched a woman behind the ear during sex.

Brown also sent messages to a good friend of Victoria Greenwood. On 3rd November, a week before the murder, he asked her: “Ever wanted to kill a person?”

The next day, in another message to her, he wrote: “I want to kill people. People are s*** 98 percent of the human population if they had any decency at all would realise they were no more than a flea on a dog’s back and kill themselves.”

On the day before the killing he told his employer he would not be back at work that week and texted another colleague to say: “It’s been a volatile week.”

In the hours before he picked up Victoria Greenwood he texted another colleague. “He raised topics of villains and heroes, whether Hitler was misunderstood, God and the Devil. He said: 'No light without dark. Cruel to be kind. Mercy killing', said Mr Lloyd-Jones.

Later that night, at around 11.15pm, he sent more messages about God, the creation of time, sacrifice and being God’s equal, the jury was told.

Victoria Greenwood was reported missing by her friends on Saturday, November 11.

In the meantime Brown allegedly set about trying to cover up what he had done. The prosecution said his initial plan was to dismember her body and on November 11 he bought a hammer, a saw and chisel from Wickes. He made internet searches about sack barrows and which of diesel or petrol is more flammable.

He also bought cleaning products from Poundland and duct tape, foil, bin bags and an air freshener from B&M. On Sunday 12, he bought a folding sack barrow and a heavy duty Jerry  can from Asda. Then at 8.54pm he went to the Asda petrol station and bought fuel for the can.

Brown went to work on Monday, November 13, almost certainly with the victim’s body in his car, the court heard.

When colleagues asked him about scratch marks on his face and a black eye he told them he had been involved in a fight with a man in a pub and a woman who had scratched him. But the prosecutor said: “The injuries were caused by Victoria Greenwood fighting for her life.”

The trial continues.