Stanton St Quintin swimming instructor Martin Sugden told a court of his shock and surprise when he was arrested for murdering Corsham rugby player Donavan Van Lill who disappeared on March 3, 2010.

Sugden told the court he was stunned when he was arrested on March 19, last year.

He said: “I was totally shocked, I didn’t know what to do.

“I was going to teach swimming and then I was arrested for murder.”

Sugden, who has no criminal record and no previous dealings with the police, also said the reason he responded with “no comment” when questioned by police was because that was what his lawyers had advised him to do in the police station.

Sugden went through what he did on March 3, 2010, the day the prosecution allege he killed Mr Van Lill.

Sugden said it was a completely normal day, he had walked the dogs, worked on his building projects, gone for a short jog and served a number of customers who had called in to the farm.

He explained the reason the farm gate was shut at midday was because he had taken the family’s five dogs for a walk and when there is no one in to serve customers the gate is closed.

Sugden told the court that during his holiday in South Africa with Mr Van Lill and fellow Corsham rugby player Mark Rogers, he had had a holiday romance with a black restaurant manageress called Nollie which he said Mr Van Lill mocked him for.

He also said Mr Rogers had to separate Mr Van Lill and himself after he caught Mr Van Lill taking money from his bag in his bedroom.

The court heard that after Mr Rogers left for the UK Sugden witnessed Mr Van Lill and two other friends, one of whom he described as “a really tough guy” brutally assaulting a young black boy aged around 10 or 11.

A tearful Sugden said the boy, who was pinned down, kicked and spat on, wet himself and tried to fight back but was too badly injured.

Sugden, whose parents keep ducks and geese on their farm, also told the court that among the people he fantasised doing harm to were wild fowlers who shot geese.

He said: “Geese are very intelligent.

“They pair up for 30 years.”

He later added: “They are intelligent birds, they fly all the way down from the arctic.

“I just wanted to take their guns away from them.“ The trial continues.