A TEENAGER found battered to death in a North-East town had 22 wounds to his face and head, a court heard yesterday.

Kevin Littlewood, 18, is standing trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of the murder of John Paul Jeffries, also 18. He denies the charge.

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

The body of Mr Jeffries, of Lowthian Road, Hartlepool, was found by fishermen near the town's Skeleton Pier, on January 24, Neil Davey QC, prosecuting, told the court.

He said the body had been wedged into rocks which make up the sea defences at Hartlepool Marina in an attempt to hide it.

The teenager had been missing for six days.

Mr Davey said Mr Littlewood and Mr Jeffries had been reasonably friendly over a period of time.

He said that after Mr Littlewood was arrested he told police differing stories, some contradicting each other, but all with the same common thread - that he had fought with Mr Jeffries, but had left him alive.

Mr Davey said one motive for the attack, money, was "high on the list". He said Mr Littlewood was known to lend people money and it appeared Mr Jeffries owed him cash.

The prosecutor added Mr Jeffries' keys had been taken from his body and used to get into his home where the video recorder and CD player had been taken in repayment of the debt.

Dr Peter Nigel Cooper, a Home Office pathologist, told the court that among the 22 injuries were two skull fractures, and bleeding and bruising to the brain.

Some injuries were caused by a weapon, he said, and Mr Jeffries had died from his head injuries.

The jury heard how Darren James Gibson had been arrested and charged alongside Mr Littlewood with the same offences.

But in October, after submissions by Mr Gibson's counsel that there was insufficient and inadmissible evidence against him, the court ordered that the indictment against him be stayed.

The case against Mr Littlewood continues.