THE jury in a murder trial has retired to consider its verdict.

Jonathan Porritt is accused of plunging a knife into the heart of John Lewis following a violent confrontation over a stolen bike and mobile phone in May this year.

The defendant had told Teesside Crown Court how he was terrified after two men turned up on his doorstep just hours after he claims he had beaten him up after he had attacked and robbed one of their relatives.

The 28-year-old said he only picked the knife up after being punched several times by John Lewis and he stabbed in the chest as he was trying to get him, and his best friend Stephen Smith, out of his home.

Mr Porritt told jurors that he had acted in self defence when he stabbed Mr Lewis in the chest after being attacked by the two men in his own home with Mr Lewis using a metal knuckleduster during the assault.

Jurors heard that the pair, along with several other family members, had gone looking for Mr Porritt to retrieve the stolen goods.

Earlier in the trial Stephen Smith, the best friend of John Lewis, broke down in tears as he told police officers: “It should never have happened; it should have been me.”

The recording of three calls made to his then-girlfriend Jodie Parker were played to jurors who listened to the defendant get agitated at times before saying 'I just f***ing stabbed him, that's the only thing that I could do. I didn't mean to kill the ****'.

When his girlfriend asked him 'where did you stab him?' he replied 'in the heart'.

The trial continues.