Middlesbrough murder accused shocked at level of violence

Stephen Law and Anthony Lee Dickons were trapped inside their car by a gang of armed men who allegedly carried out a brutal attack before fleeing when they heard police sirens.

Accused Daniel Simpson, 32, was one of four men caught on CCTV when the violent attack was launched in Orme Court in North Ormesby on November 6.

He told a trial at Teesside Crown Court he wanted nothing to do with the violence but accepted that he stayed at the scene while Anthony Dickons and Stephen Hall were attacked.

Mr Dickons died several days later from his injuries, having been slashed with a machete.

A jury heard how the four – Daniel Simpson, Domonic Hall, Morgan Caldwell and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons – who all deny murder, were driving around in a black Chevrolet containing machetes and a BB gun.

Mr Dickons was attacked in the passenger seat of his car moments after it had been rammed when the gang were hunting for his friend Mr Law after a drug deal went wrong, the court was told.

Jurors watched CCTV of four people jump out of their 4×4 and launch the brutal attack on Mr Dickons and his friend Stephen Law.

James Bourne-Arton KC, representing Simpson, took his client through what happened in the moments after the Chevrolet was rammed into the VW Passat and the violence erupted.

He said he wasn’t expecting there to be violence and was shocked about what happened.

The barrister asked: “What was going on at that point?”

Simpson replied: “I wanted no part of it. I came to the back of the car.”

He asked: “What could you see?” Simpson replied: “I saw Anthony Dickons laid on the back seat.”

When asked what happened next, he replied: “I saw Morgan Caldwell trying to hit the window in. I just saw what was going on and I didn’t want to be involved in it.”

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard Mr Dickons suffered a 15cm wound to his thigh and another 8cm wound to his buttock as he was repeatedly struck with a machete when he was trapped inside his car.

The 44-year-old died nine days later after suffering brain damage after his heart stopped beating.

Simpson, of Coledale Road in Berwick Hills, 24-year-old Domonic Hall of Greencroft Walk, 26-year-old Caldwell of Cannock Road, and the teenager, all of Middlesbrough, also deny a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against Stephen Law.

The trial continues.