ONE of the men accused of being involved in the murder of a man suspected of burgling the home of a businessman's daughter has categorically denied attacking the man.

John Musgrave admitted picking up an envelope with a computer memory stick inside containing CCTV of the two men the gang suspected of carrying out the burglary.

However, the denies playing any part in any violence that took place on the evening of June 10.

Michael Phillips was battered to death in his own home when he suffered almost 50 injuries including brain injuries, fractures to his skull, facial bones and 17 broken ribs, Teesside Crown Court had heard.

Musgrave's barrister, Nigel Edwards QC, asked him why he had been struggling to sleep following the events of that evening.

He replied: "I heard a lad in Rydal Street had got hurt. I didn't know what had happened."

When asked why he had phoned his son Sean, who is also accused of murder, several times in the hours after Mr Phillips had been fatally injured, he replied: "It was just to see if anything was being said on Facebook."

Mr Edwards: "As far as you were concerned had you done anything wrong." Musgrave said: "Definitely not."

The court heard that Musgrave called his co-accused Craig Thorpe to tell him they should hand themselves into police following the arrest of his son Sean.

Mr Edwards said: "What was the purpose of handing yourself in?" Musgrave said: "Because we hadn't done anything."

Mr Edwards said: "Did you attempt to concoct any story?" Musgrave replied: "Definitely not."

Caroline Goodwin QC, defending one of his co-accused Lee Darby, after asking the defendant who had gone into the house, she said: "What about you Mr Musgrave, were you in the house?"

Musgrave replied: "I was not in that house."

Ms Goodwin said one of the witnesses Lee Hardwell said he had heard Musgrave's nickname, Mussy, being used in connection with the last person stamping on Mr Phillips.

She said: "Was that you Mr Musgrave."

Musgrave said: "No, definitely not, I was not in that house."

The seven, all from Hartlepool, are Lee Darby, 32, of Ridley Court; Neil Elliott, 44, of Briarfields Close; Gary Jackson, 31, of The Darlings; John Musgrave, 54, and Sean Musgrave, 30, both of Wordsworth Avenue; Craig Thorpe, 36, of Young Street; and Anthony Small, 40, of Rydal Street.

The trial continues.