A man accused of being involved in a mob-handed murder denies having anything to do with the death of Lee Clarkson.

Karl Jones told police that a teenager was responsible for stabbing the 42-year-old to death outside his home after he was arrested.

Teesside Crown Court heard Jones deny that he was one of four people who attacked Mr Clarkson moments before he was stabbed three times in the abdomen.

Jones said he didn’t know anything about Mr Clarkson being killed until he was ‘locked up’ after his arrest.

Lee ClarksonLee Clarkson (Image: DURHAM CONSTABULARY)

Under cross examination from Christopher Tehrani KC, his co-accused defendant Michael Richardson’s barrister, Jones said he had no idea what had happened at Mr Clarkson’s house.

The 45-year-old admitted that he had a 30-year heroin addiction when he was giving evidence.

When asked about the eye-witness evidence of Devlin Lee who had told the jury how he had seen four people attacking Mr Clarkson, Jones replied: “He (Lee) didn’t see four people.”

Mr Tehrani asked: “So is he lying?” Jones replied: “Yes because he didn’t see four people attacking Lee Clarkson.”

The barrister quizzed the defendant about what he said to the custody sergeant after his arrest in connection with the suspected murder.

Mr Tehrani asked: “Did you say it was a young lad that did it (stabbed him) and you had been dragged into it? How could you say that if you didn’t know he was dead until after your arrest?”

He replied: “I didn’t know he had died until I was arrested. I didn’t know what had happened.”

Police at the scene on the evening of the alleged murder of Lee Clarkson on West Lane, Bishop AucklandPolice at the scene on the evening of the alleged murder of Lee Clarkson on West Lane, Bishop Auckland (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)

Jurors had heard how their intended target managed to jump out of a window and flee the scene in Bishop Auckland but Mr Clarkson was not so lucky.

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Michael Richardson, who is accused of being the ringleader of the group, said when he came out of the house he saw a teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, leaning over a man on the floor delivering two or three punches.

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.

Two members of the group, Craig Dent and the 17-year-old have admitted manslaughter but continue to deny murder of Mr Clarkson outside his home on West Lane in Bishop Auckland on November 29 last year.

The murder trial continues.