Knowsley teen 'murdered in Deeside drugs dispute'

Matthew Cassidy died after the attack in Connah's Quay

A teenage drug dealer was stabbed to death by a rival in a dispute over the sale of drugs, a court has heard.

Matthew Cassidy, 19, from Merseyside, died after he was knifed nine times in the stairwell of a block of flats in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, on 29 May.

Mold Crown Court heard drug-gang leader David Woods was later covertly recorded admitting he had murdered Mr Cassidy.

Mr Woods, 20, of Liverpool, and Leslie Baines, 48, of Deeside, both deny murder.

Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting, told the court Mr Cassidy of Huyton, Knowsley, was stabbed at Bethel Place flats shortly before 20:00 BST.

He said it was likely he was initially stabbed on the ground floor, tried to escape by fleeing upstairs, but was stabbed again.

'Heard screaming'

There were no witnesses but residents heard screaming and saw two men leaving the flats moments before Mr Cassidy was found.

One woman heard a man's voice shouting "I will kill you" followed by what she described as a "screech".

The jury was told Mr Woods was secretly recorded telling his family he was responsible for the murder.

Mr Woods and Mr Baines are on trial at Mold Crown Court

During the recording he was asked who had stabbed him and he replied he had injured himself when his hand slid down the knife handle during the attack.

He later said: "I wanted to kill him. I wanted to kill the kid."

The jury heard Mr Woods sought hospital treatment for wounds to his hand on the night of the killing and a knife found near the flats had a mix of blood from Mr Woods and Mr Cassidy.

DNA from a second knife had partial DNA profiles said to be one billion times more likely to have come from Mr Woods than anyone else.

Trainers said to be worn by Mr Baines had his blood on them and a mixed DNA profile of Mr Woods' blood was also found.

The court also heard Mr Woods admit he was the leader of a drugs gang and told police Mr Cassidy was one of his sellers.

But the prosecution insisted Mr Cassidy was a competitor and Mr Woods and Mr Baines killed him as a result of a dispute drug dealing.

The trial continues.