Ali Qazimaj, 43, (pictured) is accused of stabbing Peter Stuart, 75, nine times 'with extreme force' before attempting to hide his body in tarpaulin in a water-filled ditch

An Albanian asylum-seeker accused of murdering an elderly, millionaire couple told a friend he had 'done a bad thing' shortly before the body of one of them was found, a court heard.

Ali Qazimaj, 43, is accused of stabbing Peter Stuart, 75, nine times 'with extreme force' before attempting to hide his body in tarpaulin in a water-filled ditch near to to his home in Weybread, Suffolk.

He is also charged with the murder of Peter's wife, Sylvia Stuart, 69, even though her body has never been found.

Qazimaj, who claims to be a victim of mistaken identity, was today dubbed a 'lying murderer' after DNA evidence of the victims was found in his abandoned silver Citroen C3.

Grey hairs matching the DNA of Sylvia were found in the boot of his car and blood belonging to Peter was found on the door.

After ditching his car at the port of Dover Qazimaj was located and arrested in Luxembourg on June 16 before being extradited back to England.

He has since denied being Qazimaj, but today the prosecution claimed 'damning forensic results' showed fingerprints meant he was the culprit.

Qazimaj is accused of stabbing millionaire Peter Stuart, 75, nine times. He is also charged with murder of Peter's wife, Sylvia, whose body has never been found (Pictured: The Stuarts)

Qazimaj, who lived in Tilbury, Essex, had gambling debts and was known in bookmakers by the name of Marco Costa.

Ipswich Crown Court was told he now claims to be a man called Vital Dapi, but the finger prints of Qazimaj and Dapi are matching.

The Stuart's daughter, Christy Paxman, dabbed her eyes as she gave evidence and said her father told her an unknown man had approached him in his garden.

She told Ipswich Crown Court her father said to her, in a conversation on May 28, that the man said: 'I understand you want to sell up.'

'But dad was surprised at that, as he hadn't had anyone round to value the house,' said Mrs Paxman. 'He was surprised that this chap knew.

'He didn't know him. He said he had been round twice. He said he had a client who might be interested in the property.'

In her evidence on Wednesday, Mrs Paxman said she was at her brother-in-law's house when he was on the phone to his father Mr Paxman.

'He said that Sid had rung and said this chap Ali had phoned,' she told the court. 'He had been round after work and the gist was he said, 'I've done something terrible'.'

She continued: 'I know of somebody Sid knew called Ali. As far as I know he had befriended him and would take him shopping and to (car) boot sales.'

Karim Khalil QC, prosecuting, said: 'We say that Peter Stuart and Sylvia Stuart were murdered. Peter's body hidden in water covered to try and delay or in order to prevent it from being found.

'When it was found it was clear he had been brutally stabbed to death. Sylvia's body was not found.'

Concerns grew for the Stuarts in June last year when they failed to turn up to their regular line dancing class near their home

He continued: 'The killer is a man called Ali Qazimaj... He was by then already running two identities calling himself Ali Qazimaj and Marco Costa.

'He's no stranger to providing a false account of himself.'

Concerns grew for the Stuarts in June last year when they failed to turn up to their regular line dancing class near their home.

They were last seen alive on CCTV at a food market stall on May 29 and over the following days Mrs Stuart's Barclaycard was used to withdraw cash.

The couple were reported missing on June 3 and officers found 'no signs of a fight' and 'no signs of a struggle' when their house was visited.

Two officers then searched the nearby area and discovered Peter's concealed body.

In the days after the alleged murders, which are said to have taken place between May 29 and June 3, Qazimaj resigned from his job at a recycling centre.

Mr Khalil said: 'He knew the net eventually would start to close around him.'

The jury were told the defendant was known to the couple as he had been a carer to their son-in-law's parents, Nellie and Sidney Paxman, for a number of years.

Mr Khalil said: 'He (Qazimaj) commented to Sidney to the effect that he had done a bad thing and had resigned from Shields (his job). He didn't elaborate further.'

The following day on June 4 Qazimaj was spotted on CCTV at a Paddy Power and Corals in Grays, Essex.

Ipswich Crown Court was told Qazimaj had a gambling habit and was in 'financial difficulties'.

Police investigating Mr Stuart's murder and his wife's disappearance remove evidence

His car was spotted on the Dartford crossing and found abandoned in Dover with a cricket bat and sports bag in the boot with a Morrison's bag in the passenger footwell.

Mr Khalil said: 'They (scientists) found it (the car) was very clean, but the outside edge of the front offside door had traces of blood on it, from which a DNA profile was obtained.

'That DNA profile matched the DNA profile belonging to Peter Stuart.'

Mr Khalil said 'a number of human hairs' were found in the boot which matched to Sylvia.

The court heard fingerprints matching Qazimaj and the man he is claiming to be, Vital Dapi, were found on the Morrison's bag.

Qazimaj, of Tilbury, Essex, claimed asylum from Kosovo in 1999 and became a UK citizen in 2005. He denies two counts of murder.

Mrs Paxman lived in Leicestershire, and said a friend called her on June 2 after her parents failed to attend their regular line dancing classes.

The friend, who lives in the same road as Mrs Paxman's parents, went to the Stuarts' house to investigate and found the house key on a ledge instead of in its usual hiding place, under a cushion for the cat, the court heard.

Mrs Paxman said she called police on June 3 after calling relatives and three hospitals.

Explaining the delay, she said: 'It was because I didn't want to believe something had happened to them.'

The defendant, who was assisted by an Albanian interpreter, was extradited from Luxembourg to the UK to face murder charges.

The trial continues.