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A FORMER Perth chef accused of murdering a British model has told a London court he regretted having sex with her dead body.

Sally Anne Bowman was found dead in a pool of blood in the driveway of her home in Croydon, south of London, in September 2005.

The prosecution at the Old Bailey say pub chef Mark Dixie stabbed the 18-year-old Ms Bowman seven times and raped her as she was dead or dying.

But Mr Dixie, 37, who lived in the West Australian capital during the 1990s, said he found her corpse after a drink and drugs binge and did not realise she was dead until after having sex with her.

Legs sticking out

He said he left the flat of a friend nearby about 4.30am that day to buy more cocaine when he saw a pair of legs in front of the house in Blenheim Crescent, Croydon.

Asked what he thought, Mr Dixie said: "I have gone over it during the last three years. I don`t know what went through my mind.

"I crouched down from behind where the legs were. I took full advantage of someone and I should not have done it.

"All I saw was was a pair of legs, naked genitalia, shirt put down to the waist and I took advantage of her."

No reaction

His counsel, Anthony Glass QC, asked: "Do you mean you had sexual intercourse with her?"

Mr Dixie: "I would not have expected to see anyone dead in that street. I thought she might have passed out or fallen over."

"I did maybe think she would wake up not realising what went on the night before."

He said: "I panicked. I stood up. I looked at her. I did not know what to do."

Allegedly stabbed, raped another girl

Mr Dixie said he realised he would have to cover up his DNA and placed cement dust and concrete from a skip on the body.

Ms Bowman, who was a hairdresser and part-time model, was discovered about two hours later by a neighbour who saw her legs sticking out.

Ms Bowman`s mother Linda sat in tears a few metres away in court today and later left the court as Mr Dixie continued his evidence.

In court yesterday, the jury was told that in June 1998, Mr Dixie allegedly raped and stabbed a 19 year-old woman in Perth.

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