THE jury who will decide the fate of murder accused Niron Parker-Lee have retired to consider the evidence.

The 21-year-old, who admits inflicting the fatal stab wound that killed 24-year-old Mansoor Mahmood in Brierley Hill High Street on October 15, 2016, has denied murder - insisting he acted in self-defence.

The retrial at Birmingham Crown Court has heard that the two men - who were both drug dealers - were known to each other.

Parker-Lee, of Blewitt Street, Pensnett, told the court he was carrying a knife for his "own protection" after previous run ins with Mr Mahmood - including an incident where the deceased and two other men had allegedly chased him into a chip shop armed with a mallet, knife and baseball bat for dealing drugs on their turf.

He said he pulled the knife out as Mr Mahmood had run at him after they had traded punches, hoping the weapon would make him “back off”.

He told the court: “I only realised he had been stabbed when he screamed out in pain. Then I could see the blood.”

Despite the best efforts of medics, Mr Mahmood, a father-of-two, later died at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a result of the single stab wound.

However Christopher Millington QC, prosecuting, has alleged that Parker-Lee had armed himself with the deadly weapon as soon as he saw Mr Mahmood approaching from across the street and he had not been acting in self defence.

After hearing all of the evidence, the seven woman, five man jury retired at 12.23pm today (Monday).