Donavan Van Lill filmed himself and two other men having sex with the girlfriend of Mike Rosser, the owner of Chippenham’s Karma nightclub, Bristol Crown Court heard on Monday.

South African Dominic Giraud was giving evidence at the trial of Stanton St Quintin man Martin Sugden, 42, who is charged with Mr Van Lill’s murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Van Lill, 29, who worked as a fitness instructor at the Olympiad in Chippenham and played rugby for Corsham, disappeared on March 3 2010 from his home in Blackthorn Mews, Pewsham. His body has never been found.

Mr Giraud said of fellow South African Mr Van Lill: “He was a good friend. I’d say he was more of a brother.

“We met in Chippenham at the gym and he recognised my accent and we formed a friendship. He introduced me to rugby and that’s how the friendship flourished.”

Mr Giraud told the court that he, Mr Van Lill and Mr Van Lill’s landlord Howard Davis took part in a ‘foursome’ with Sam Cook, which Mr Van Lill filmed on his mobile phone.

Mr Giraud said some time after that incident Mr Rosser, with whom Miss Cook was in a relationship, threw him out of the nightclub and gave him and Mr Van Lill ‘threatening looks’.

He added that on March 9, Sugden called Mr Giraud ‘out of the blue’ to ask if he had heard anything about Mr Van Lill’s disappearance.

Mr Giraud said Sugden mentioned an incident in which he and Mr Van Lill had come to the aid of a man beaten up by six gypsy travellers. He said Sugden said: “You and Don have been messing with pikeys. They remember things like that.”

Mr Giraud also said Sugden brought up the name of Mr Rosser and said: “You don’t mess with a guy like Mike Rosser. Most people disappear.”

Under cross-examination Mr Giraud said he didn’t tell the police about the sexual adventure with Sam Cook until May, despite being interviewed for the first time in March.

He said: “Donavan was a very good-looking guy, he was a charmer. It was hard to keep track of all the women he had been with.”

On Wednesday the court heard a statement from Olympiad recreational assistant Michael Stott. He said after Mr Van Lill went missing he saw fitness instructor Paul Morgan speaking to Sugden while he was teaching a swimming lesson and showing him a note.

He said following Mr Van Lill’s disappearance Mr Morgan did not seem himself. He said: “If things don’t go his way he can get aggressive. He doesn’t take no for an answer even if he knows he is in the wrong.”