A doctor has told of the "odd" reaction of alleged poisoned curry killer Dena Thompson on hearing her husband was dead.

Thompson, from Columpton, Devon, denies murdering husband Julian Webb on his 31st birthday at their home in Yapton, near Arundel, nine years ago.

Dr Tazeen Shariff told the Old Bailey today she felt as though Thompson play-acted grief when told her husband had died following an overdose on a cocktail of sleeping pills and antidepressants.

Dr Shariff said: "I remember thinking her reaction was not the reaction from other relatives - her behaviour was slightly odd.

"She spoke quietly but with rather an odd manner, not the way I would expect someone who had recently been bereaved to have spoken."

Dr Shariff said she spoke to Thompson for about 15 minutes in a family area at St Richard's Hospital, Chichester.

"Her conversation was about how she would cope now and what she would do. It seemed she was emotionally detached."

Paramedic Malcolm Wilson told the court how he and driver Neil Martin rushed to a house after receiving a 999 call just after 1.20am on July 1, 1994.

Mr Wilson, who was working from Littlehampton, said Mr Webb's body was unusually hot and was showing signs of rigor mortis even though Thompson indicated he had only just died.

He said: "It looked like the bed had been made. I would have expected to see the bed clothes ruffled because we were called to deal with a cardiac resuscitation."

Michael Birnbaum QC, prosecuting, asked Mr Wilson if Thompson indicated when she had last seen her husband alive.

Mr Wilson said: "I'd have to say five to ten minutes was the impression I got. I believe she said he wasn't feeling too well and went upstairs."

Mr Wilson told the jury when he tried to remove Mr Webb from the bed he noticed the patient's hips were getting stiff.

"We started thinking it was rigor mortis setting in. Normally you would expect to see that after four hours."

Thompson denies murder. The trial continues.