A murder accused has denied he helped to buy a car for it to be used to block in the target of a pre-arranged fight and prevent his escape.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is one of five friends charged with murder after a dad-of-two was stabbed to death when a long-running feud descended into violence.
Craig Yorke suffered three stab wounds when the two groups of friends clashed in the early hours of the morning after two teenagers arranged a one-on-one fight to settle their differences.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the 28-year-old arrived in Eldon Lane in Jack Richardson’s car after several hours of cat-and-mouse with the intended foe - Jack Lawson.
18-year-old Lawson has admitted the charge of manslaughter but denies Mr Yorke’s murder.
Five people were charged with the murder of Mr Yorke, including Jack Lawson, Marley Roles, Connor Vint, Harry Brown and the unnamed teenager.
Today, the teenager was cross examined about his account of what happened from the evening of December 13 into the early hours of the following day when the dad-of-two was killed.
Katherine Robinson, junior counsel for the prosecution, cross examined the teenager about his evidence.
She quizzed the defendant about why he helped his co-accused Vint in buying the Vauxhall Astra late at night after he told him he was sick of driving backwards and forwards to Eldon Lane.
He said he contributed £100 towards the purchase and he was hoping to make some extra cash when they sold it on.
Ms Robinson asked whether they bought the Astra to block in or ram Mr Richardson's Ford Focus because Lawson and Roles didn't want to use their own vehicles. The teenager said 'no'.
The barrister quizzed him on why the Astra and Lawson's Ford Focus were back at Eldon Lane within 40 minutes of buying the car, if Vint was sick of going backwards and forwards.
He said - 'maybe he wanted to go one last time to see whether anything happened'.
Ms Robinson asked him why they parked where they did on the higher ground and he replied: 'I don't know'.
She asked whether they parked there to act as 'look-outs' for Jack Richardson’s return and he said 'no'.
During cross examination, he was also quizzed whether the reason they moved their car towards Jack Lawson's car was for it to get involved in the fight.
The defendant said - 'no’ before adding -"Why would we waste that much money just to smash a car up?"
The jury heard how Mr Yorke and another male started hitting the recently bought Vauxhall Astra with wooden walking sticks.
The teenager admitted that he got out of the car and started videoing himself hitting Mr Richardson’s red Ford Focus with the stick and shouting abuse at his attackers.
His barrister, Sharon Beattie KC, asked him how he felt watching the footage and he said 'it's embarrassing'.
He denied attacking anyone with the walking stick after he wrestled it from his attacker’s hands.
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Lawson, of Willington, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies a charge of murder.
His co-accused, Vint, 18, of North Bitchburn, Crook, 20-year-old Roles, of Willington, Brown, 19, of Willington, and the 17-year-old, all deny murder and manslaughter.
The trial continues.
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