Carly accused 'a loner and drunk'

The drug-fuelled world of Bolton's sex trade was also revealed to the murder trial jury yesterday as vice-girl friends of the 17-year-old gave evidence.

Geoffrey Porter, aged 40, of Columbia Road, Heaton, denies strangling Carly and dumping her naked body in a dimly lit back alley off Crawford Avenue, The Haulgh.

Two men riding their bikes found her body lying on leaves and rubbish on November 11 last year.

A former work colleague described Porter as "a bit of a loner". He told the court he watched Porter punch a pile of boxes after he heard a radio bulletin revealing Carly had been killed.

Pues Patel told the jury he worked with him at a Bolton warehouse for around five weeks.

Mr Patel -- who said Porter had told him he knew Carly -- said: "He drank all night and had constant time off work.

"He had already said that he had been with prostitutes and said Carly was a good girl."

Two prostitutes who knew Carly also gave evidence.

Carla Conway, from Great Lever, was friends with her at Deane High School.

She said: "I used to see her on the streets and last saw her alive a few days before her body was found. She did not look well."

Donna Knox, from Great Lever, said Carly regularly worked the streets of Bolton's red-light district. Both girls got into Porter's car the night before Carly's body was found, the jury heard.

He took them to Bromwich Street to buy drugs then drove them home to take them, the court heard.

Carla said: "Porter said he was homeless and was living in his car as he had been thrown out of his house.

"It was full of clothes."

He took them both back to the streets and arranged to meet Carla in Bromwich Street.

They met at 7am and Porter took Carla back home -- after hearing the news a body had been found.

Carly had been working as a prostitute to fund her drug habit after leaving school aged 14.

The trial has heard she died as the result of compression on her neck.

(Proceeding)