Callum Howe, aged 23, is currently standing trial at Teesside Crown Court for the murder of his childhood friend Mohammed Shaan Ali Rasul, also 23. The incident took place at a flat on Allerton Close, Hartlepool, on 23 November 2025.
Howe admits to striking Rasul with a hatchet but claims he acted in self-defence. The prosecution, however, alleges that the attack was savage, involving at least 10 blows to Rasul’s face and head.
Prosecutors state that Howe launched a brutal assault on Rasul, repeatedly using an axe or hatchet. Neighbours reported hearing a disturbance before emergency services arrived to find Rasul dead under a blood-stained duvet inside the flat.
Jurors heard that both men, along with a third flatmate, had been using cocaine and cannabis continuously for several days without sleep or food. This drug-fuelled bender may have contributed to the violent outbreak.
CCTV and Ring doorbell footage captured Howe fleeing the scene by jumping through a bedroom window. Witnesses saw him stumbling through the street, covered in blood and shouting for help.
Taking the stand, Howe said he was “fighting for his life,” fearing that Rasul intended to kill him. He testified that the conflict began when another flatmate ran off with Rasul’s phone, which provoked Rasul to break into the bedroom aggressively. Howe also described being threatened by Rasul’s large dog, Rocco.
During cross-examination, prosecutor Peter Makepeace KC challenged Howe’s self-defence claim, pointing to the repeated heavy axe strikes as evidence that Rasul was no longer a threat. Overwhelmed, Howe abruptly ended his testimony, telling the court, “I’ve had enough. I’m finished,” before leaving the witness box.
The trial proceedings have since resumed.
Originally published by UKNIP.
