A MAN known as 'dangerous Derek' told a court his co-defendant in a murder trial 'turned white' when he found out Peter Gilling was dead.

Derek Pallas, who has served time in prison for causing death by dangerous driving, told Teesside Crown Court that the alleged victim had pulled a knife on Darren Willans when they fought in the street.

Mr Pallas told the jury how the pair had clashed in the weeks before the fatal stabbing and thought that Mr Gilling had suffered a ' good-hiding' at the hands of former boxer Mr Willans.

The 36-year-old told how he and Mr Willans had visited a flat in Melsonby Court, Billingham to buy some crack cocaine in September last year. The defendant told jurors that while they were in the flat he had taken a knife off his co-accused and hid it under a sofa cushion.

At this point Mr Willans was told that Mr Gilling had been telling them all that he had knocked the former boxer out in a previous fight and there were rumours circulating on the town that he was carrying a meat cleaver to attack Mr Willans.

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Peter Gilling was killed outside Melsonby Court, Billingham, in September last year Picture: GOOGLE

When asked how his friend reacted, Mr Pallas said: "Darren was fuming, he felt like he had been belittled in front of everyone and he was fuming with me because I didn't back him up."

And when they left the block of flats they unexpectedly bumped into Mr Gilling and violence soon erupted.

Mr Pallas said Mr Willans launched himself at Mr Gilling and landed a punch to his head, knocking him backwards. It was at the point that the defendant claims he saw Mr Gilling pull a weapon from his pocket and shouted 'he's got a knife' to alert his friend.

Following a brief scuffle on the ground, Mr Pallas said he could see Mr Willans striking out at Mr Gilling but believed he was just punching him.

When asked by his defence barrister, Jamie Hill QC, what he thought had happened during the fight. Mr Pallas replied: "I thought he was just punching him. Peter was just curled up into a ball on his side. I thought they had had a scuffle and he had just smacked him."

He told the jury that the pair then fled in a friend's waiting car and it was at this point that he claimed Mr Willans tried to pass him a knife.

The pair then headed to Mr Pallas' home on Marsh House Avenue where he said Mr Willans took a call from a 'customer' who told him that Mr Gilling had died.

When asked how his co-accused reacted, Mr Pallas said: "He turned white and said 'I'm in the s*** man, what am I going to do?' I didn't know what was happening, I thought they had just had a fight."

Mr Willans, 31, of Warren Court, Hartlepool, and Mr Pallas both deny murder.

  • The trial continues.