A JURY has been told how a man found the body of his workmate after he had allegedly been brutally murdered by two teenagers who wanted to steal his cannabis plants.

Simon Johnson, a window fitter for Black Country Glazing in Cradley Heath, had been growing an illegal crop of the controlled drug at his semi-detached home in Cradley Road, Netherton.

Wolverhampton Crown Court was told that after the trusting 41-year-old told a group of teenagers about the plants, two of them raided his home and he was stabbed four times - three times in the back.

The body of Mr Johnson, a father-of-two who lived alone, was discovered at the top of the stairs.

In a statement to police, his workmate described how he had become concerned when he went to pick up Mr Johnson to take him to work and got no response after knocking the door.

He said he went into the house through an unlocked door and found his workmate's body.

He also found cannabis leaves and other debris scattered on the floor of the lounge.

The prosecution has alleged Mr Johnson was savagely killed by the two teenagers after they followed others who had been to the property earlier to take cannabis.

Damilola Johnson, aged 19, of no fixed address - no relation to the dead man - and a 16-year-old - who cannot be named for legal reasons - have both pleaded not guilty to murder.

But the 16-year-old has admitted burgling the house and he told police he was present when Mr Johnson was killed but he has stressed it was Damilola Johnson who carried out the killing.

A number of other teenagers have already admitted at an earlier hearing charges involving burglary and theft and they have been sentenced but they played no part in the murder.

Simon Denison QC, prosecuting, alleged forensic evidence points to the two teenagers being behind the murder of Mr Johnson.

He has told the jury: "The evidence shows these two people were acting together and they are criminally responsible for his murder."

Their trial - expected to last around two weeks - is continuing.