(Image: Newsquest)
The jury has gone out in the trial of two men accused of raping and stabbing their victim.
Michael Boslem is accused of raping the man while his friend John Hyde pinned him down during an attack in a house in Ushaw Moor.
Both men admit stabbing the victim in the legs. A third defendant, Claire Dowson, denies stabbing him while he was trapped in her home.
Jurors heard how the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was held in a Holly Park house before being thrown out after the alleged rape.
The alleged victim told police he feared he would die, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Jurors also heard that thieves stole a pendant containing his grandmother’s ashes, jewellery, a mobile phone and bank cards.
Dowson and Hyde did not give evidence in their defence, the jury was told.
Boslem, 36, of Skippers Meadows, Durham, admits wounding with intent and theft but denies rape.
Hyde, 44, of no fixed address, admits wounding with intent but denies rape and stealing from the man.
Dowson, 52, of Holly Park, Ushaw Moor, denies wounding with intent and theft.
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Watson, 48, of Bay Court, Ushaw Moor, denies possessing a bladed article.
The prosecution alleges Claire Dowson delivered the first stab wound and urged Michael Boslem and John Hyde to join the attack.
The prosecution also alleges Gemma Watson displayed a knife in her waistband before the alleged victim entered Dowson's home.
The jury is considering its verdict.