A man who was subjected to a beating when he was dragged out of his house suffered fatal stab wounds to his stomach, a court heard.

Lee Clarkson bled out after a knife was twice plunged into his liver causing significant and fatal blood loss.

The 41-year-old was kicked and stamped on outside his Bishop Auckland home during the alleged assault last November.

However, a jury was told that the knife injuries resulted in his death as they were unsurvivable, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Lee ClarksonLee Clarkson (Image: DURHAM CONSTABULARY)

Dr Jennifer Bolton, a Home Office pathologist, told the jury that the cause of death was two stab wounds to the abdomen, either was capable of resulting in a fatality.

“The main findings were the stab wound to the front of his torso that went into his liver,” she said. “The second stab wound went into his back and this also went into the liver.

“He had no sharp force defence injuries, so no sharp injuries to his hands. He did have bruising to his face and upper limbs.

“The cause of death were the stab wounds to the abdomen. Both of those stab wounds damaged the liver and death has occurred due to blood loss.”

The jury heard how a third knife injury caused no internal damage to Mr Clarkson.

Police at the scene on the evening of the incident on West Lane, Bishop Auckland.Police at the scene on the evening of the incident on West Lane, Bishop Auckland. (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard how a fatally injured Mr Clarkson tried to crawl back into his house on West Lane after he was attacked at around 6pm on November 29 last year.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has already admitted to stabbing Mr Clarkson but denies being responsible for his murder.

Police at the scene of the alleged murder of Lee Clarkson in Bishop Auckland. Police at the scene of the alleged murder of Lee Clarkson in Bishop Auckland. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Co-accused Craig Dent has also admitted manslaughter but also denies a charge of murder.

During three police interviews, Dent did not answer any of the questions put to him by detectives.

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In her second police interview, Helen Jones told officers that she had been picked up by Michael Richardson when she was in the area looking for drugs but denied any knowledge of any planned attack.

Jones said it was the teenager who said he had stabbed Mr Clarkson and when asked why she hadn’t mentioned it in the first interview, she replied: “I didn’t want to be a grass.”

Michael Richardson, 52, of Boddy Street, Bishop Auckland; Karl Jones, 45, of General Bucher Court, Bishop Auckland; Helen Jones, 42, of General Bucher Court, Bishop Auckland; Craig Dent, 42, of Gray Street, Eldon Lane; and the teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons, are all on trial for murder.

The trial continues.