A drug dealer was "deliberately and ruthlessly" killed by one of his team of pushers, a murder trial jury has been told.

Mark Dyson, 35, is alleged to have injected Derek Finch with a fatal dose of heroin at a flat in Chichester last August.

Lewes Crown Court was told Dyson owed money to Finch and had been threatened by him.

Dyson, of Laycock Close, West Wittering, near Chichester, denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Opening the case for the prosecution yesterday, Christopher Clark told the jury Finch lived in Carleton Road, Chichester.

He said: "At the time, to put it mildly, he was hardly the most law-abiding member of the community."

He described Finch as a drug dealer selling crack cocaine and using others such as Dyson as pushers.

Finch took drugs himself but was not a regular user of heroin.

Mr Clark said: "If he ever did take heroin, he would not inject it himself but ask someone to do it for him."

He told the jury that after Finch was found dead, tests showed heroin had played a significant part in his death.

He alleged Dyson injected Finch at least twice with heroin after being invited to the flat with 26-year-old Tracey Matthews.

Mr Clark said Finch had asked for some heroin to be brought round to "bring him down from the effects of cocaine."

He alleged Dyson injected Finch with heroin and that later, when he was preparing a second injection, Miss Matthews warned him it would be too much for Finch.

Mr Clark said: "The defendant said it would be alright."

The jury was told a post-mortem revealed three recent injection marks on Finch's right forearm.

Miss Matthews, who said she lived in Chichester, told the jury that before going to the flat Dyson said to her: "This could be my chance to get Derek out of the picture."

She said: "He then said he was only joking and I said, 'You'd better be'."

The trial continues.