A TEENAGER accused of murder told a court yesterday that he had not killed his friend.

Kevin Littlewood told a jury at Teesside Crown Court another man had delivered the fatal blow to 18-year-old John Paul Robert Jeffries, whose body was found wedged between rocks in Hartlepool Marina.

Mr Littlewood, of St Paul's Road, Hartlepool, denies murdering Mr Jeffries. He also denies the theft of a video recorder and CD player belonging to Mr Jeffries' father.

Yesterday, the defendant told the jury his former co-accused Darren Gibson, 34, had killed Mr Jeffries.

He said the three had gone to the marina and he dropped his wallet, which Mr Jeffries picked up and said: "I'm keeping it."

The teenager said he had been robbed in the past and was not going to let someone steal from him again.

Mr Littlewood said: "I lost my temper a bit and I hit him a couple of times with my fists."

He said he hit Mr Jeffries five or six times, kicked him and stamped on his back.

As he walked away he said he turned to see Mr Gibson kicking Mr Jeffries.

Mr Littlewood told the jury: "He (Gibson) pulled a hammer out. He proceeded to give John a good hiding with it. He hit the head. He hit him about ten or 11 times."

Mr Littlewood said the pair went to Mr Jeffries' home where Mr Gibson let them in with keys he had taken from Mr Jeffries and took a video recorder and CD player.

"I felt horrible and wanted to come forward," he said. "I couldn't because of what Darren Gibson would do to me."

The jury previously heard a formal admission that Darren James Gibson was arrested and charged with the same offences as Mr Littlewood, but on October 25 at Teesside Crown Court, after submissions were made that there was insufficient and inadmissible evidence against him, the court ordered that the charges against him be dropped.

This means Mr Gibson cannot be tried for the two alleged offences, except with the permission of the court, or the Court of Appeal.

The case continues