A MAN accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend was trying to buy a gun 12 hours before her death, a court was told.

Paul Withers, 22, sent a text message to a former work colleague asking if he knew anyone with a shotgun or rifle for sale at 1.10am on August 28 last year.

At about 1.40pm that day it is alleged that he stabbed the 20-year-old mother of his sons more than 23 times in the kitchen of her flat in Fernleigh Court, Sutherland Avenue, Bexhill.

Withers's trial at Hove Crown Court was yesterday also told the young mother would have been able to survive 22 of the injuries caused during the "frenzied attack", but a 12cm deep deep puncture wound pierced her lung, causing her to go into cardiac arrest and she bled to death.

Billy Henderson, a chef at the Cooden Beach Hotel where Withers had previously worked as a kitchen porter, said he had woken on the morning of August 28 to see the message sent in the early hours.

The message said: "Alright mate, I know this is a bit random but do you know anyone that's got a rifle or shotgun or anything like that for sale?

"Going to go shooting at the weekend. Going to be fun."

Withers then followed the text with another message that said: "Or even just borrow."

Mr Henderson said that when he heard that Withers was accused of Lauren's murder that afternoon he decided to show the police the messages.

Lewis Power QC, representing Withers, asked Mr Henderson: "Paul spoke fondly and in glowing terms about Lauren and the children, would show you photos of his family, as far as you were concerned everything was fine in his relationship with Lauren?"

"Yes," agreed Mr Henderson.

Consultant pathologist Robert Chapman described the 23 knife injuries he found on Lauren's body during a post mortem as well as a deep bruise to her throat and an older bruise.

Dr Chapman said that Lauren's body would have been able to shut down non-vital functions to keep blood flowing to her brain but it would only have been a "matter of minutes" before she lost consciousness and died.

Withers, of David Close, Bexhill, denies murder.

The trial continues.