Joanna Yeates's neighbour did not hear screams on night she was killed

The neighbour of murdered Bristol architect Joanna Yeates has said he did not hear any screams on the night she died.

Bristol Crown Court heard that Geoffrey Hardyman, who lives in the top floor flat of 44 Canynge Road, Clifton, was ill with a cold and had gone to bed at 11pm on the night of December 17 last year.

He stated that he had heard nothing from Miss Yeates's ground floor flat on the evening that she was strangled by another neighbour, Vincent Tabak.

In a statement read to jurors by junior defence counsel Dean Armstrong, Mr Hardyman added that he only learnt of her disappearance when told on the following Monday by her landlord Christopher Jefferies.

The retired teacher, who has owned his flat for around 20 years, said he had met Miss Yeates and her boyfriend Greg Reardon briefly.

"I actually only met Greg and Joanna on three occasions while I was working in the garden," he said.

"I have had a friendly conversation with Joanna about her cat who I liked to see in the garden.

"I would describe them both as nice and friendly and I was impressed with them."

Miss Yeates's parents, David and Teresa, and her boyfriend Mr Reardon sat in the public gallery to hear Mr Hardyman's statement read to the court.

After the statement had been read, William Clegg QC formally closed the defence case.

Jurors were told to return to court tomorrow when closing speeches by prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC and Mr Clegg will begin.

Miss Yeates's snow-covered frozen body was found by dog walkers on Christmas Day last year in Longwood Lane, Failand, North Somerset – about three miles from where she was last seen alive in Clifton.

Tabak, 33, denies murder but has pleaded guilty to Miss Yeates's manslaughter. He claims he had been attracted to her and "made a pass at her" when she invited him in for Christmas drink.

The Dutch engineer was arrested on January 20 after a DNA swab he gave matched that of samples found on Miss Yeates's body and clothing.

Giving evidence earlier this week, Tabak tearfully apologised to Miss Yeates's family for putting them through hell.