A POLICE expert said a stabbing over drugs may have links to “humiliation” and “revenge”.

Retired detective Michael Kent was asked about the killing of Abdul Deghayes at Elm Grove, Brighton.

The 22-year-old was stabbed eight times, and had wounds to his legs and buttocks, Hove Crown Court heard.

Adam Feest QC, prosecuting, told the jury that these injuries could have links to a “revenge” motive in the criminal underworld of drugs gangs.

Vicious

This week he told jurors that Mr Deghayes, whose teenager brothers Abdullah and Jaffar died fighting in Syria, was killed in a “short but vicious attack”.

He said: “That this was a drug related murder is clear.

“ It may be that the exact motive for the killing may only ever be known to the defendants.”

Daniel Macleod, 36, is accused of murder while his friend Stephen Burns, 55, is accused of assisting him to leave the scene at Hanover Court on February 16 this year.

Mr Feest told jurors that Mr Macleod will claim he acted in lawful self defence, while Mr Burns will say he knew nothing about the attack.

But the prosecutor said telephone evidence shows the two defendants were together shortly before and after the incident at 9.30pm.

The prosecutor suggested that Mr Burns had claimed that he had been robbed of drugs by Mr Deghayes, and that this “perceived slight” could have been a motive for “revenge”.

Mr Feest says the stab wounds to Abdul Deghayes legs could be a sign of retribution.

The practice is known as “bagging”, “Mars barring” or “Turkish revenge”.

These are injuries known within the knife wielding community that can “can maim and humiliate a victim but not kill them”.

He asked expert witness Michael Kent, a retired detective with 26 years of experience, to explain the terms to the jury.

Mr Kent said gangs can sometimes have a rivalry over their patch, and have “beef” with each other.

Mr Kent said that stabbing in the buttocks and around people’s bottoms could lead to them needing colostomy bags which would “humiliate” a victim, particularly a young person.

This week Mr Feest revealed that Abdul Deghayes and his pal Colby Broderick went to meet Mr Macleod after arranging to buy drugs.

Mr Broderick said he was left to shield his friend from Mr Macleod, who he alleges said: “Thank f*** you’re here.

“Otherwise I would have killed him.”

In his 999 calls he said: “Abdul must have been stabbed because there was blood everywhere.

“Where he grabbed me, there was blood all over me.

Scared

“I was scared. I’ve been crying for the last 40 minutes.

“My head’s all over the place.”

Mr Macleod, of Gypsy Road, Lambeth, and Mr Burns, of Lennox Street, Brighton, deny the charges.

The trial continues.