A MAN has described how he discovered his best friend lying dead on the floor of his home, having been fatally stabbed to death.

Lance Gray said he feared at first that Peter Hoe had committed suicide and thought he may have slashed his wrists.

He said that after dialling 999 an ambulance paramedic arrived at Mr Hoe's home in Jubilee Road, Eston, Middlesbrough, and lifted the dead man's jumper, discovering stab wounds to his chest.

Mr Gray was giving evidence at Teesside Crown Court in the trial of David Reed, 29, and his brother Terry, 26, of Tennyson Avenue, Grangetown.

They deny the murder on October 12 last year of Mr Hoe, 43, a former boxer and renowned local 'hardman'.

Mr Gray told the court he enlisted the help of his son Lee to break into Mr Hoe's home after he had peered through the window and spotted his body on the floor.

He said: "I saw Pete and thought I saw blood stains. To be honest I thought he had cut his wrists."

Mr Gray, 61, said that upon entering the house he knew it was too late.

He said he picked up Mr Hoe's arm and felt his pulse, but he was "stone cold".

Earlier Mr Gray set out how he spent the hours before Mr Hoe's death with his pal, driving him to the bank, in Redcar, and also taking him to the supermarket and his Hoe's mother's house.

He said that after a trip to buy cannabis 'skunk', he dropped him at home by 9pm.

He later tried, but failed to contact Mr Hoe, calling at his home the following day, which was when he found him dead.

Jamie Hill, for David Reed, questioned why Mr Gray had not mentioned the trip to buy drugs in his original police statement.

He also suggested his version of events gave him "insufficient time" to be back at Mr Hoe's home before his alleged murder.

The trial continues.