Court told of phone call made by US teenager accused of killing British pair

A teenager accused of killing two British tourists made a phone call from prison saying police had found bullet casings which could "f*** me up", a court heard yesterday.

In the call, Shawn Tyson said police had found bullet casings connected to the shooting of Britons James Kouzaris, 24, and James Cooper, 25.

The men were gunned down in the impoverished Newtown area of Sarasota, Florida, in April last year. The two friends, who were holidaying with Mr Cooper's family, drunkenly stumbled into a rundown public housing project known as The Courts.

Tyson, 17, denies two counts of first-degree murder. If convicted he faces life in jail without parole.

The court heard a call made by Tyson from Sarasota County Jail which was recorded by police. In the conversation, played to the jury, the then 16-year-old said: "Somebody say they saw me... They say they found the bullets."

Asked about the discovery, he replied: "It's the only thing that's going to f*** me up."

The men were found shirtless and with their trousers around their thighs. They had been shot several times. Detective John Todd told the court that suggested the men were victims of "an attempted robbery".

The trial continues.