PIECES of human flesh cooked so they were raw in the middle and browned at the edges were found on a chopping board in the kitchen of a former Mr Gay UK, a court heard yesterday.

Anthony Morley, 36, of Leeds, stabbed Damian Oldfield to death before carving off a chunk of his thigh, seasoning it with fresh herbs, frying it in olive oil and chewing a section, Leeds Crown Court has heard.

Morley, a trained chef who won the first Mr Gay UK title in 1993, cooked the flesh in a frying pan in one piece before chopping it into seven sections, the jury was told.

Valerie Tomlinson, a forensic scientist, told the court she examined Morley's house shortly after the killing.

Ms Tomlinson said that, in the kitchen of the house, she found a blue chopping board with six pieces of human meat on it, a cleaver and some tongs. She said there was also a bundle of fresh herbs, a knife, some olive oil and a dish of seeds on the work surface.

A frying pan was found on the hob with the remnants of fried herbs and oil in it, Ms Tomlinson told the court.

Commenting on the cleaver, she said: "There was greasy staining but very little actual blood on that item. It may well have been used to chop the original piece of meat after it had been fried."

Morley denies murder. The court has heard he admits killing Mr Oldfield but the issues will be over diminished responsibility and provocation The case continues.