THREE Stroud men have admitted perverting the course of justice after the death of Prince’s Trust worker Nick Bonnie in September last year.

Mr Bonnie, 30, who grew up in King’s Stanley, collapsed and died in September last year after an incident at a nightclub in Manchester.

Four of his closest friends - James Churchill, Paul Tabb, Dean Neale and Simon Lloyd-Jones - appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday.

Churchill, 30, of Selsley West, Neale, 29, of Moseley Crescent, and Lloyd-Jones, 29, of Foxmoor Lane, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and will be sentenced on July 23. The charges related to allegations that the defendants lied to the police about the supply of drugs to Mr Bonnie before his death.

Tabb, 30, of Stanley View, is yet to plead on charges of providing false witness statements. He will face a plea and case management hearing on June 5.

All four had previously pleaded not guilty to the offence at a hearing on January 28. At the same hearing, Churchill pleaded guilty to six counts of supply of a Class A drug while Tabb and Neale both pleaded guilty to possession of MDMA and cocaine.

Nearly 1,000 mourners attended Mr Bonnie’s funeral at Gloucester Cathedral in October.

The former Marling School pupil leaves behind parents Pauline and Andy, younger brothers Thomas and Ryan and long-term girlfriend Leah Wilkins.