A NEIGHBOUR heard 'screams of terror' during the alleged murder of a 22-year-old, stabbed to death inside his Redditch flat.

Three men are charged with the murder of Colton Bryan in Guinness Close, Redditch and a fourth man, believed to have wielded the knife, is understood to have fled the country in the wake of the killing which left blood 'all over the floor and walls'.

Adam Carpenter, 21, of Wharrington Hill, Redditch, Faisal Fiaz, 21, of Millsbro Road, Redditch and Mohammed Saddam Hussain, 25, of Oakfield Avenue, Birmingham are on trial at Worcester Crown Court. All three men deny murder and conspiracy to rob following the stabbing shortly after 9.30pm on July 15 last year.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Hammed Hussain, the brother of defendant Mohammed Saddam Hussain, left the country after the stabbing which involved a large hunting knife nine inches long is still being sought by the authorities in connection with Mr Bryan's murder.

Michael Burrows QC, prosecuting, told the jury that Colton Bryan tried to defend himself with a baseball bat and that the killing may have been a drug-related robbery.

Michael Burrows, prosecuting, said: "As to the identity of the intruder who actually stabbed Colton Bryan, there is, as I understand, no issue in this case. It was Mohammed Hammad Hussain."

As previously reported Colton Bryan was stabbed five times, once to the left arm, once to the back and three times to the chest. One of those wounds went into the chest and out through the right armpit.

The cause of death was the stab wound to the chest, cutting through the axillary artery which caused rapid and massive loss of blood. In turn, that caused a loss of blood pressure which led eventually to loss of consciousness and death.

The prosecution case is that the defendants on trial were in contact with each other via phone before and after the attack. "We may not know what was said in the calls but the mere fact they were in touch with each other at critical times is significant" said Mr Burrows.

At 8.40pm CCTV shows Carpenter's car being driven into Highfield Avenue in Redditch where it was parked and remained for almost exactly an hour.

Mr Burrows said: "Neighbours heard some of the violence. Veronica Beckford had actually gone to bed. She heard someone scream in terror.

"She went to her front door on the floor below Colton’s flat, and saw a figure standing in the doorway. She thought it was Colton Bryan and called to him.

"It was Hammad Hussain. He ran downstairs with his mask covering his face. She says, “it looked very menacing”. When she saw him coming, she ran back into her flat and closed her door.

"When he had gone, she went upstairs to Colton’s flat. She saw a trail of blood leading back to the flat. Chelsea (Durber) let her in and she saw “blood all over the floor and the walls”. Whilst Chelsea was on the phone to the ambulance service, she tended to Colton.

"Chloe Bowcutt also heard a scream. She too saw Hammad Hussain coming down the stairs. She said he was “not running but it was a quick rushed movement to get away”. She too went to help Colton."

The trial continues.