A man accused of murder has denied "directing" a frantic intimidation plan that left  a Reading restaurant manager dead in a residential road, a court has heard. 

 Mr Vignesh Pattabi-Raman, a 36-year-old manager at The Vel South Indian Kitchen, was found in a pool of blood in Addington Road in the early hours of February 15. 

He was rushed to hospital but died later the same day. 

Two men, 24-year-old Shazeb Khalid and 27-year-old Soiheem Hussain, stand trial accused of orchestrating and carrying out the murder, with Mr Khalid followed the orders of Mr Hussain.

Previously at Reading Crown Court, the prosecution had told the jury that Mr Khalid had accepted he was driving a Range Rover that collided with Mr Raman as he cycled home. Mr Khalid has admitted one count of manslaughter. 

Now his co-defendant has been questioned by the prosecution, who have argued that Mr Hussain directed a "frantic" plan with the aim of seriously harming Mr Raman.

The prosecution said the plan was part of a "message" to deter whistle-blowers from reporting illegally employed restaurant staff. 

Mr Hussain told the court that Mr Mohammed Saqid Ishmail -  a family friend and Vel restaurant manager - asked him if he knew anyone who could speak to Mr Raman, who "might be a threat" as a "grass" who would report illegal immigrants being employed as staff.  

Mr Hussain said the request was "odd" and "brushed it off", but then later told Mr Khalid - a relative of his wife - about the conversation. 

"He thought he was right person - he assured me he could speak to him", Mr Hussain said from the witness stand. 

When Mr Khalid gave evidence yesterday, he told the court that he was expecting to be paid £2,000 for the "plan."

But Mr Hussain told the court he had no recollection of money being mentioned. 

He said that Mr Khalid had called him as he waited for Mr Raman to leave the restaurant. 

With the 24-year-old in a "rush" to return home, Mr Hussain had told him to "leave it", the court heard. 

But prosecuting barrister Ms Sally Howes argued that he "said no such thing."

Addressing Mr Hussain, Ms Howes argued that a series of pones calls around Mr Raman's death was "frantic" communication to direct the intimidation plot. 

Mr Hussain says that Mr Khalid called him shortly after midnight to ask for a lift from Reading to see his girlfriend in Newbury.

At 1am, the pair spoke for three minutes on the phone. 

Ms Howes said: "What's this all about? You have just spent the journey from Reading to Newbury with him."

Mr Hussain said he wasn't sure. 

He said: "It's maybe him saying thank you for giving him a lift."

Ms Howes asked about another phone call at 3:14am for three minutes. 

"Is he saying thank you again?" Ms Howes asked.

Mr Hussain said the number of phone calls between the two men were "completely normal."

Then at 3:42am, Mr Hussain called Mr Khalid, the prosecution told the court. 

"You're both worried about what's happened," Ms Howes said.

Mr Hussain said: "He didn't tell me at this point what happened."

The prosecutor said that Mr Khalid had been recruited because Mr Hussain was "not prepared" to carry out the plan himself. 

Ms Howes said: "You knew that Mr Raman was leaving the Vel to work in a restaurant in London.

"A message needed to go out to others to deter anyone else from going to the Home Office. The only way that message was going to get out was if he was seriously hurt. 

Mr Hussain said "there was no need for him to be seriously hurt" 

Mr Khalid, previously of Engineers Court in Reading, Berkshire, denies one count of murder. He has previously admitted one count of manslaughter. Mr Hussain, of Rossby in Shinfield, Reading, was arrested on February 29, and also denies one count of murder.

Ms Mya Reilly, of Chiltern Gardens in Woodcote, Oxfordshire, denies one count of assisting an offender, and another of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.