A MAN accused of being involved in the 'gangland-style' murder of a cannabis farmer has told jurors he ran for his life when he heard the gun blast.

Qazim Marku said he was upstairs in the house on Charterhouse Street, Hartlepool, when Hamwand Ali Hussain was blasted with a sawn-off shotgun at close range.

The 24-year-old told Teesside Crown Court how he had gone to the house to help prepare a cannabis farm and had no idea that anyone would be hurt or killed.

Giving evidence during the murder trial, he said: "After the gun went off I was like 'I'm going to get shot' so I just ran for my life."

His barrister Nicholas Corsellis QC asked him what he saw after he ran downstairs in the terraced property.

The defendant replied: "Everything happened so fast, all I could see when I looked through the door was a red jacket."

When asked what happened next, he replied: "At that moment I was just rushing to get out because of what had just happened – from that moment I completely froze."

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of five man, including Marku, walking quickly from the area before driving away in different vehicles.

One of the cars was later found burnt out in North Yorkshire.

Mr Hussain, a father-of-two, died instantly as a result of the gunshot wound.

Anxelo Xhaferi, 24, of Acton Street, Middlesbrough; Noza Saffari, 39, of Park Lane, Middlesbrough; 33-year-old Dorian Pirija, of Trillo Avenue, Bolton; and Marku, of West Drayton, all deny murder.

The trial continues.