A roofer claimed he was watching EastEnders on the night of the Babes in the Wood murders 32 years ago, a court has heard.
Russell Bishop is accused of sexually assaulting and strangling nine-year-olds Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway on the evening of October 9, 1986.
His Old Bailey trial was told Bishop knew both girls’ fathers through playing local football and a shared interest in fishing.
On the day of their disappearance, he had called at the Fellows’ house looking for his friend Dougie Judd who lodged there.
Later that afternoon, he told police he had seen the girls playing in a tree in the nearby Wild Park, in Brighton, and had spoken to the park keeper as he walked home.
Bishop was interviewed by police before and after the girls were found dead in a woodland den in the park on 10 October.
He described joining the search for the children and how he rushed to the scene after someone shouted “We’ve found them”.
He described the girls being “huddled together”, with Nicola laying on her back with Karen’s head resting on her stomach.
He said he felt for a pulse and found them cold, stiff and obviously dead, adding that there was blood-coloured foam on Nicola’s lips, jurors heard.
After being interviewed, Bishop told officers he was worried about being the “number one suspect” and was told having an alibi would “assist no end”, the court heard.
Reading from police accounts, prosecutor Alison Morgan told jurors that Bishop said he could think of no-one who could assist.
He then allegedly recalled seeing the last scene of EastEnders, which aired on the BBC between 7.30pm and 8pm.
In it, the character Michelle was being served in the pub by Lofty, with the character Wicksy playing the piano, he allegedly said.
Convicted sex predator Bishop is on trial for the second time for the murders following new evidence from advances in DNA testing.
The 52-year-old defendant, originally from Brighton, has denied the charges against him.