TWO drug suppliers murdered a heroin addict a day after he stole money from a man who worked for them, a court heard yesterday.

A jury was told that Richard Petty, 35, was stabbed to death in the living room of his home for "taxing" street dealer Mark Fairweather.

Mr Petty is said to have taken a gang with him on a visit to Mr Fairweather's home, in Billingham, near Stockton, when he ran out of drugs.

The jury at Teesside Crown Court heard that he planned to steal - or "tax" - heroin from Mr Fairweather, but took money when he had none.

Neil Davey, QC, prosecuting, said the cash effectively belonged to the people who supplied Mr Fairweather - Mark "Pea" Pearson and Joseph Tingle.

Pearson, 28, and Tingle, 23, were said to be furious they had been ripped off and sought revenge on Mr Petty the following day.

The jury was told Pearson armed himself with a kitchen knife - hidden in a home-made scabbard - and went with Tingle to confront Mr Petty.

They tricked their way into the block of flats where he lived in Melsonby Court, Billingham, and Pearson stabbed him eight times.

Pearson, of High Street, Redcar, east Cleveland, has admitted murdering Mr Petty on March 25 and will be sentenced later.

Tingle, of St James' House, Stockton, denies the same charge, and is facing a trial that is expected to last throughout this week.

The jury has been told that Tingle - who lived with Pearson at the time, in Denby Road, Billingham - did not know his friend had the knife.

Mr Davey told the court: "It had to be carried over a large distance, both concealed from public view and without posing a risk of injury.

"Mark Pearson carried it in a home-made scabbard, constructed out of cardboard and tape, for that purpose."

The jury heard that Mr Petty died almost immediately after he was attacked by Pearson in the lounge of his seventh-floor flat.

Mr Davey said the pair fled from the flat, leaving the scabbard, and Pearson threw the knife down a drain as he escaped.

Pearson was arrested later that night and Tingle handed himself in to police the following day.

The trial continues.