The jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a man accused of murdering a pensioner minutes after attempting to murder his housemate.

Ahmed Ali Alid stabbed Javed Nouri repeatedly after forcing his way into his bedroom at their shared house in Hartlepool, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The 45-year-old shouted “Allahu Akbar” [“God is Great”] as he stabbed Mr Nouri in the upper chest near his heart, jurors heard.

Alid then started walking the streets where he bumped into Terence Carney who was out enjoying his regular early morning walk.

The Northern Echo:

Jurors heard how the 70-year-old was stabbed several times before leaving him in the street.

A post-mortem examination established that Mr Carney had been stabbed six times in the chest, abdomen and back.

During his trial, the defendant admitted that he was responsible for inflicting the stab wounds on both men but denied any intention to murder them.

The Northern Echo:

Alid maintained that he had been tormented by Mr Nouri for several weeks before the stabbing.

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The Northern Echo:

And his barrister, John Elvidge KC, said Alid had told the jury that the defendant maintained he “lost his mind” after feeling stress build up.

The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb DBE, summed up the evidence from the trial this morning but the jury was sent out to consider its verdicts.

Alid, of Wharton Terrace, Hartlepool, denies he murdered Mr Carney. He also denies the attempted murder of his housemate and two charges of assaulting an emergency worker.

The trial continues.