A MAN bled to death after suffering a fatal stab wound to his leg following a 'determined attack'.

Peter Gilling was stabbed five times during a violent confrontation with two men in the early hours of September 29 last year.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 39-year-old was involved in a fight with Darren Willans and Derek Pallas after he was accused of burgling the home of the sister of one of the defendants.

Jurors will hear that the pair are both facing a murder charge – through joint enterprise – as a result of the violent clash.

David Brooke QC, prosecuting, told the court how the confrontation was over in less than a minute and juror saw CCTV footage of Mr Gilling stumbling to the doorway of a block of flats at Melsonby Court, Billingham, in blood-soaked jogging bottoms.

He said: "Death had been caused by the catastrophic blood loss from the severed femoral artery. In addition there were four further stab wounds – to the left side of the head, left side of the abdomen, the left flank and an incised wound to the right cheek.

"In other words, this was more than a single strike with a knife, this was a determined attack."

Both Mr Willans and Mr Pallas accept that they were present at the scene of the murder but both deny using a knife during the fight.

The court heard how Liam Laverick drove the pair to the block of flats in Billingham and waited outside for 40 minutes while they were inside.

Outlining the case, Mr Brooke told the jurors that during the confrontation Mr Gilling pulled a Stanley knife out of his pocket but it was not the weapon used to fatally wound him.

Detailing the evidence that Mr Laverick will give during the trial, Mr Brooke said: "He said there were a few punches thrown but he couldn’t say by whom. They were arms all over. It looked as if all three of them were throwing punches. He spoke of the two of them going at one (Gilling).

"The next thing he saw was Peter on the floor Laverick wasn’t aware of any use of a knife by either of the two defendants and as you know the incident was short.

"He thought they had just hit him a few times and beat him up. On his account Pallas ran to the car saying “we need to go” followed by a Willans and both got in."

Following Mr Willans' arrest, Mr Brooke told jurors that he told officers – "Shit, I’m in the shit here aren’t I? No way am I gonna go down for this f**ker for a murder I haven’t done”.

Mr Willans, 31, or Warren Court, Hartlepool, and 36-year-old Mr Pallas, of Marsh house Avenue, Billingham, both deny murder.

The trial continues.