A YOUNG woman accused of murdering her boyfriend has told a jury how her co-accused threatened to kill him days before his death.

Zoe Warren, who stands charged with the murder of Mark Shaw, told Newcastle Crown Court, how Kieran Adey smashed the windows of Mr Shaw’s home in Pine Street, Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street.

Mr Adey, who lived on nearby Queen Street, and was 18 at the time, was angry at being left in the house having fallen asleep after taking a mixture of prescription drugs, including Miss Warren’s medication for epilepsy, the court heard.

The 19-year-old told the jury she had moved in with Mr Shaw in early December and started a relationship with him.

She said the days before his death were spent drinking alcohol and taking amphetamines with Mr Shaw and Mr Adey, as well as their friend, Simon Cope.

On December 12, Miss Warren, who is originally from Washington, said she and the two other men left Mr Adey for ten minutes while they went to the shop, but he had awoken and acted aggressively when they returned.

She said: “He was furious. He was shouting and swearing outside, making threats, mainly towards Mark. He was threatening to damage the house.”

It was said Mr Adey left when police arrived, but he returned an hour later brandishing a hammer.

Miss Warren said: “He was really angry and still making threats. He smashed the front window. I told him to ‘leave it’. It went on for what seemed like quite a long time.

“I was worried about what was going to happen.

“He said he was going kill Mark, the ‘smack rat’”

The jury was previously told that 29-year-old Mark Shaw was a heroin user.

Miss Warren said: “Mark seemed worried for the rest of the evening. It shook him up a bit. I was quite worried. I thought if that could happen then what else could happen?”

Miss Warren said Mr Adey and Mr Shaw had an ‘up and down’ relationship.

She said: “He (Adey) was alright one minute then arguing the next. Then things would calm down. It was unpredictable.”

Mr Shaw was found dead in his bed police at around 6.15pm on Saturday, December 17. He was tied up and had been subjected to a prolonged beating and fatally stabbed.

Both Mr Adey and Miss Warren admit being there during the attack but Mr Adey has said he did not intend serious harm and Miss Warren claims she played no role in the attack.

They both deny a single charge of murder, while Miss Warren also denies witness intimidation.

The trial continues.