There was a dispute as to how much money Raja owed

David Waters QC Prosecution

Mr van Hoogstraten, David Croke and Robert Knapp have all denied murder.

Mr van Hoogstraten, 57, of Uckfield, East Sussex, has also denied conspiring with Mr Croke, 59, of East Moulsecoomb, Brighton, and Mr Knapp, 55, of Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, and others to murder Mr Raja.

David Waters QC, prosecuting, told the jury: "The background arose out of business dealings between the two men.

"They were both involved in property. Van Hoogstraten was very much more successful than Raja, but their paths crossed in the late 1980s."

Breach of trust claim

Mr van Hoogstraten lent Raja money to purchase properties, Mr Waters said, but kept the deeds and a dispute emerged.

Mr Raja first asked to see the accounts, said the prosecution, but then brought proceedings against Mr van Hoogstraten in 1994, accusing him of breach of contract and breach of trust.

Mr van Hoogstraten had asked for Mr Raja's original claim to be thrown out of court, but failed.

Raja was raising the stakes and the danger to himself

David Waters QC Prosecution

Mr Waters told the court the battle between the two men then hotted up when Mr Raja amended his accusation in 1999 to a more serious one of fraud.

Mr van Hoogstraten immediately entered an appeal, which he abandoned shortly afterwards when Mr Raja was murdered, the court heard.

Mr Waters said: "Raja was raising the stakes and the danger to himself.

"In spring 1999 he told his grandson, Rizvan, he was about to win the case against van Hoogstraten and that he thought van Hoogstraten would do something and they should check the windows before answering the door.

"On another occasion, he told his family to take care."

Payments

Mr Waters claimed Mr van Hoogstraten told Mr Raja's son Amjad: "Your dad is a maggot. He does not know what I am.

"We pick thorns who are a pain and we break them."

Following the attack on Mr Raja, the court heard, his grandsons ran down the stairs and saw him holding his side.

He allegedly said: "These are van Hoogstraten's men. They have hit me, they have hit me."

Mr Waters alleged that Mr van Hoogstraten referred to Mr Knapp as Bob, who did his "dirty work".

In the tycoon's diary there were five entries listing loans totalling �7,000 to Bob.

Mr Waters said: "You will have to decide whether they were loans, or payment for getting rid of that thorn."

He said Mr Knapp's bank account showed three payments of �1,000 on cheques signed by a Nicholas von Hessen, whom he suggested was Mr van Hoogstraten.

The case continues.