A DRUG dealer accused of murder was shocked when he learned who he had killed, a court heard.

Daniel Macleod says he did not intend to kill Abdul Deghayes, and claims he “panicked” when he was “lured” into an “ambush” over a drug deal.

He said the whole incident was a “nightmare coming true”.

Mr Deghayes was stabbed eight times outside Hanover Court in Elm Grove, Brighton, and died from his injuries.

He was 22, and is the twin brother of Abdullah, who fought and died with Islamist fighters in Syria, aged 18, and brother of Jaffar, who also died there at the age of 17.

Macleod, 37, appeared in the witness box at Hove Crown Court in a blue suit and tie and said he defended himself lawfully from a knife robbery.

He alleges that Mr Deghayes was known as A1 in a gang of “Muslim brothers” who “steal drugs, deal drugs, and take drugs”.

“When I found out who had died I s*** myself,” he said.

“Nobody wants to get into a fight with Abdul Deghayes, he is notorious and has his brothers and wider network, his family.

“The rest of my life is f***** all because of one night.

“All of this is horrific, I never intended to cause him harm. He is still a human being, I know he has got all this baggage with him.”

Macleod described Mr Deghayes’ “network” as the “Isis lot” who were a “brotherhood”.

He claims that these “brothers” put a £10,000 price tag on his head where he is being kept in prison and reported an attack in the showers to the police.

Meanwhile he accused the main witness Colby Broderick, a pal of Mr Deghayes, of being a Muslim convert.

Edward Henry, QC, defending Macleod, asked his client about phone calls made to him by Mr Broderick after the stabbing.

Macleod said Mr Broderick had tried to extort money from him, demanding £10,000 in cash in the aftermath.

He said: “He told me I didn’t know who I was messing with, he was going to get all the brothers on me.

“He was trying to put the fear of God in me.”

Mr McLeod also denied that his own pal Stephen Burns, 51, of Lennox Street, Brighton, was present at the moment of the attack.

The prosecution alleges Burns assisted Macleod to flee the scene, change clothes, and switch cars to avoid detection.

Burns denies assisting an offender.

But the pair have admitted their roles in drug dealing in Brighton, after £100,000 worth of drugs was found at Bristol Gate, Brighton, in a flat in Macleod’s name.

Adam Feest QC, prosecuting, asked Macleod about Abdul Deghayes’ nine injuries, including defensive stab wounds to his hands and a stab wound to his back.

He pointed out that police found no injuries on Macleod and suggested that Macleod was changing his account to fit the facts of the case.

Macleod replied “I can see how horrific it is, I’m ashamed of what happened.

“I can’t tell you blow for blow what happened.

“It all happened so fast. I was just trying to save my a***.”

Macleod, of Gypsy Road, London, denies murder.

The trial continues.