A man stabbed a drug dealer to death during “a planned ambush” in a bid to steal cocaine, heroin and cash, a court heard.

Abdul Fatah Suleiman, 28, is accused of murdering 24-year-old Anton Levin, who was lured to the ground floor flat of a drug addict prostitute in St Ann's Road, Southend.

Suleiman denies murdering Mr Levin on Wednesday, November 19, 2014, as well as the attempted murder of Mr Levin’s childhood friend Abdullatif Abdulkadir, 24.

He has also pleaded not guilty conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to rob Mr Levin, who was from Dagenham, of class A drugs and money.

During the opening day of his trial at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday, prosecutor Anjad Malik QC told the jury that Suleiman planned the frenzied attack with a 16-year-old from Thurrock, and a 17-year-old from Basildon, and Danielle Russell, 26, who lived at the flat.

He said that Mr Levin and Mr Abdulkadir visited the flat after spending the afternoon in Southend to meet girls.

Mr Malik told the court: “This was a planned ambush, a surprise attack, which took place in Danielle’s flat after she invited the men there.

“Mr Abdulkadir was on the sofa and Anton was still standing. Within seconds, everything went mad. The door to the living room was flung open and three men each armed with a knife ran in.

“The defendant was carrying a four-inch curved bladed knife.

“According to Mr Abdulkadir, the defendant plunged the four-inch blade into Anton’s leg near his groin whilst Anton was still standing.

“He plunged the knife with a facial expression that Mr Abdulkadir said was contorted and full of aggression.”

Mr Abdulkadir suffered stab wounds to his legs and shoulder when he tried to help his friend.

The court heard he was lucky to have survived the attack.

Mr Abdulkadir tried to stem Mr Levin’s blood flow with his hands before running outside for help.

Mr Malik told the court that Suleiman flew out of the country the day after the killing to avoid arrest.

He said: “He made sure that the knife he used to kill Anton Levin was not found by police and the clothing that he is seen wearing on CCTV footage, he disposed of.

“He left the country to avoid being arrested for the murder of Anton Levin and he remained outside of this country until he was arrested in Norway in late June last year.”

He arrived back in the UK in August 2015, when he was remanded in custody.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Levin, who was born in the Ukraine and was a security guard at the time of his death, died from hypothermic shock, a reduced circulation of blood volume and a single stab wound to the right thigh.

The trial continues.