A MURDER trial jury is expected to retire today to decide if a drugs supplier murdered an addict in revenge for having money stolen.

Joseph Tingle, 23, denies any part in the killing of Richard Petty, 34, at his home in Billingham, near Stockton, in March.

Former convict Mr Petty was stabbed to death in the seventh-floor flat at Melsonby Court that he shared with fellow heroin user Carl Vincent.

Mark "Peao" Pearson, 28, has admitted murder and accepted he was the knifeman who attacked Mr Petty in the lounge of the flat on March 25.

Mr Tingle told the trial he did not know that his lodger had a kitchen knife when they went to confront Mr Petty about "taxing" one of their street dealers.

The jury at Teesside Crown Court heard that Mark Fairweather had £80 stolen - or "taxed" - from him by Mr Petty the day before the killing.

Mr Petty armed himself with a knife and went with others to steal drugs from Fairweather, but took the money when he claimed he had none.

Pearson and Mr Tingle - who paid Fairweather to sell drugs for them in Billingham - were said to have been furious about losing their money.

The prosecution alleges they hatched a plan to seek revenge and took the knife from their home in nearby Denby Road to attack Mr Petty.

Mr Tingle claims that despite Pearson saying he was going to "stab him up", he did not know his friend had a knife and would not have gone if he had.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Peter Fox, will begin his summing-up of the case today before sending out the jury.

The jury of eight men and four women has been told about the concept of "joint enterprise" and how someone can be guilty of murder even if they did not inflict the fatal blows.

Mr Petty was stabbed with the 8in kitchen knife eight times by Pearson after he and Mr Tingle are said to have tricked their way into the town centre tower block on the Sunday afternoon.