Man stabbed to death by young drug dealers - court

A man was stabbed to death by two "county line" dealers after climbing through an upstairs window to buy drugs from them, a court has heard.

David Hunt, 45, was found with multiple stab wounds outside a house in Arundel Close, Hull, on 19 June last year and later died in hospital.

Hull Crown Court heard he had been stabbed nine times by a 16-year-old boy and Dean Dawkins, 20, inside the property, where they were handling a drugs line being operated by two dealers in London.

Both the teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, and Mr Dawkins, of Cherry Nook Road, Huddersfield, deny murder but have admitted two drugs offences.

Prosecutor Jamie Hill KC told the jury how Mr Hunt was "repeatedly stabbed - nine times - on the upstairs landing" of the house and suffered fatal wounds to his neck, face, stomach, chest and arms.

"He was attacked as he tried to battle his way out of the property," said Mr Hill.

"There were smears of blood down the wall of the staircase as he tried to get out.

"Thirty seconds after entering, he staggered backwards out of the front door, mortally wounded. CCTV shows him stagger and collapse on a grassy area in front of the property."

Mr Hill said the teenager had carried out the stabbing but he and Mr Dawkins were "both in it together", with the pair "lying in wait" for Mr Hunt at the house.

"We say that they acted together by the last words heard from David Hunt: 'Whoa, lads, I'm not doing anything'," Mr Hill said.

The prosecutor said the youngster later claimed he had previously been assaulted and had drugs stolen from him by Mr Hunt.

The court was told that a drugs line known as the Saskia Line operated from the house, where another defendant, Roberta Taylor, was living. She allegedly allowed dealers Charlie Murray and her partner Elon Williams to run the line from their home in Croydon, south London, in return for receiving free heroin.

On the night of the attack, Mr Hunt, who was with a group of friends, had met Ms Taylor – known to buyers as "Irish Jo" – on New Bridge Road and had asked to buy some cocaine. Ms Taylor told him to go to her house, the court heard.

Mr Hill said that when no-one answered the door, Mr Hunt climbed on to a wheelie bin and then on to a flat roof before getting into the house via the bathroom window.

Following the attack, the accused pair fled the scene with their drugs and money "under the direction of Ms Murray, who also orchestrated an attempted cover-up in which Taylor was involved", said the prosecutor.

He said Ms Murray organised a taxi to take Mr Dawkins and the teenager to Huddersfield and Ms Taylor was "doing her best to follow her instructions while Mr Hunt lay bleeding to death outside her house".

Another man, Barry Leiper, was seen on CCTV taking a blood-stained knife from the house and hiding it in bushes, Mr Hill said.

• Dean Dawkins, 20, of Cherry Nook Road, Huddersfield – denies murder but pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
• A 16-year-old boy – denies murder but pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
• Charlie Murray, 34, of Galpins Road, Thornton Heath, London – denies assisting an offender and two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
• Roberta Taylor, 40, of Newtown Court, Hull – pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice and two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
• Elon Williams, 30, of Rosemead Street, Hull – pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs
• Barry Lieper, 48, of Arundel Close, Hull – pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice

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