Michael Phillips murder trial: Jury expected to go out on Friday to consider verdicts against seven Hartlepool men

The trial of seven men accused of the murder of Michael Phillips is being held at Teesside Crown Court.

The judge in the trial, His Honourable Justice Jacobs, has been summing up the vast amount of evidence the jury has heard throughout the trial.

He said on Friday morning he would conclude and the jury would retire to make their verdicts.

Seven men are charged with the murder of Michael Phillips, 39, who died in his Rydal Street home on June 10 last year.

They are Lee Darby, 32, of Ridley Court; Neil Elliott, 44, of Briarfields Close; Gary Jackson, 31, of The Darlings in Hart Village; John Musgrave, 54, of Wordsworth Avenue; Sean Musgrave, 30, also of Wordsworth Avenue; Anthony Small, 40, of Rydal Street, and Craig Thorpe, 36, of Young Street.

During his summing up today, Mr Justice Jacobs said: "You may wish to think of the number of issues?

“Who was in the living room of number 38?"

He said there is no doubt that Elliott and Darby were there.

He said the evidence of the Musgraves is that they never went into the house.

Mr Justice Jacobs said: "Mr Darby is saying that he is being unfairly blamed about what happened, but there were others in the room."

The judge said in Elliott's evidence he said when he first went into the house he saw Lee Darby throw a punch, but he didn't see him do any more after that.

He said he did strike Lee Hardwell, but he didn't use a weapon and that he never had any weapons during the day.

The judge said in Elliott's evidence he said that he could hear arguments going on around him.

Mr Justice Jacobs said there is a very big difference between Elliott and witness Lee Hardwell's evidence.

He said in Elliott's evidence there wasn't any third phase after they looked at the CCTV footage.

However, Mr Hardwell's evidence was that there was a third phase where people 'turned into animals' after seeing the blue coat on the CCTV.

The judge said Elliott accepted that Mr Phillips must have sustained the injuries while he was in the room, but said "I cannot say what I didn't see."

Small said he left the property and denies any attack, Jackson said he only went in the porch and both the Musgraves and Thorpe say they never entered Mr Phillips’ home.

The trial continues.