A man accused of killing two girlfriends sent his victim's son to see her lifeless body, a court was told.

Robert Trigg, 52, is accused of the murder of Susan Nicholson, 52, in 2011 and the manslaughter of Caroline Devlin, 35, in 2006.

A jury at Lewes Crown Court was told Trigg had told Caroline's sons Jordan and Brandon McKenna on Mother's Day morning "There's something wrong with your mother. I think you should come and have a look."

Giving evidence Jordan McKenna, who was 14 at the time, fought back tears and could only nod when asked if he had gone into his mother's bedroom and find her lying lifeless on the bed.

He said: "She was lying face down. She was completely naked.

"I tried to wake her up. She felt cold she was blue round her face."

Jordan said Trigg had initially told him to go and see his mother while sitting casually at the top of the stairs with a cup of coffee.

Jordan's best friend Jack Herrington had stayed overnight at their house the night she died.

Giving evidence on day three of the trial, he said Trigg "wasn't stressed. It was said under his voice. It was very casual."

Later when an ambulance arrived outside the home, he heard Trigg say something like: "I'm going to leave."

Mr Herrington said: “I remember thinking it was strange, thinking where was he going."

In a statement read to the court Ms Devlin's then 10-year-old daughter Cody McKenna said she had been making her mum a Mother's Day breakfast in the kitchen when she head Trigg leave the house.

She said she went upstairs to ask her mother what she wanted for breakfast.

She told the court: "I went upstairs to mum's room to see if she wanted scones or pancakes.

"Mum was lying on her stomach. She looked like she was lying in the recovery position. I thought she was just asleep.

"I called her name and shook her shoulder but she didn't respond.

"I thought she was in a deep sleep.

"I heard the door go and thought Rob was back I'd better go downstairs.

"Rob was making a coffee in the kitchen then went back upstairs. In hindsight I thought it was odd because he would normally make mum one too but didn't that morning.

"Five minutes later I heard [her bothers] Jordan and Brandon come running downstairs screaming."

Brandon McKenna, who was 9 at the time, told the court in a statement: "I have always been uncomfortable with the fact that Rob got fully dressed before telling us something was wrong with mum."

Trigg, of Park Crescent, Worthing, denies murder and manslaughter.

The case continues.