A MAN accused of a double shooting over the theft of his car claimed it had been stolen by strangers.

But, a week later, one of the strangers questioned by police about the car was shot, along with his girlfriend, in an armed ambush, the Old Bailey heard.

Paul Asbury, aged 22, from Thamesmead, is accused of the murder of Sabina Rizvi, aged 25 from Mitchum, Surrey, and the attempted murder of black drug dealer Mark Williams, aged 28, of Waterhead Close, on the Larner Road estate, Erith.

He denies arranging the shooting, which took place as the couple drove down Watling Street, Bexleyheath, in the early hours of March 20, 2003.

Asbury gave a statement to police claiming two men in a Volkswagen Golf took his £20,000 Audi TT sports car from him at knifepoint.

He said he had been driving along Northend Road, Erith, towards Dartford, on March 13.

"I noticed a VW Golf coming up behind me fast. I pulled over and got out of the car. The Golf had two people in it. The driver was a black man and the other man was white," he claimed.

Asbury said the passenger, who had a south London accent, was holding a lock knife. He approached Asbury and said something.

"I ran backwards to avoid him but he kept coming towards me," Asbury said.

Asbury claimed the man then got into the driver's seat of the Audi and the two cars drove off. He said he flagged down a taxi and chased the two cars but lost them in the back streets around West Hill in Dartford.

At the time, he told police he would recognise the white man again but possibly not the black man.

Mr Williams, nicknamed Buck, was questioned by police at Bexleyheath police station until 3am on March 20.

As Miss Rizvi drove him away from the police station, it is claimed they were tracked by Asbury's gang.

Miss Rizvi died in the hail of bullets but Williams survived despite being shot twice in the head.

Thirty minutes after the shooting, Asbury walked into the same police station and asked to make another statement about the carjacking, the court heard.

The trial continues.