FISE AMES MURDER TRIAL: Accused tells jury of moment he claims stab victim came at him with knife

Shaun Riches, Michael Raine and Scott Mitchell are accused of killing Faisal Ames Abdou, who was stabbed ten times in the legs, at his home in South Shields, in the early hours of the morning on March 5.

All three deny murder and are being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.

Giving evidence from the witness box, Mitchell has told jurors Mr Abdou, a former friend who he later "cut ties" with, was the first to attack.

Mitchell said he and the two other men had gone to the home of Brandon Cairns, who Mr Abdou lived with at Marshall Wallis Road, so they could sell some MDMA and maybe stay for a party.

He told jurors he had no idea Mr Abdou would be at the flat and realised when he got there it was a "set up".

Mitchell said he was instantly attacked by Mr Abdou and added: "As soon as I stepped into the room he approached me and tried to hit me, he tried to smack me.

"I ducked and hit him with a left, on the cheekbone. I hit him several times in the face.

"He put his guard up and I stopped hitting him, I thought there was no point in carrying on hitting him so I let him be.

"Two seconds later he grabbed a knife off the floor and tried to come at me, so I backed off with my hands up.

"That's when Shaun was at the bottom of the bed in the room and I made my way out of the room.

"I expected Shaun to follow me but he didn't."

Mitchell said there was no plan to harm Mr Abdou and told the court: "It wasn't supposed to happen, if he didn't have a knife he wouldn't have been stabbed."

Riches told the court during his evidence he stabbed Mr Abdou in "self defence".

Riches, 24, of Wycliffe Avenue, Newcastle, Raine, 35, of Grace House, Percy Main, North Tyneside, and Mitchell, 25, of no fixed abode, all deny murder.

The trial continues.