A PHONE believed to be used by the ‘Scooby’ drugs line was in contact with the man accused of killing Robert Eacock on the day of his death, a jury has heard.

The trial continues at Worcester Crown Court into the killing of Mr Eacock, who was stabbed on Commercial Street on January 29.

He died later that day at Hereford County Hospital.

Anthony Boyd, 23 of Temple Road, Willenhall, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to his original charge of murder.

Artaf Hussain, 31, of Slater Street, Tipton, has pleaded not guilty to murder.

During the final day of the prosecution’s case, the court heard detailed evidence of phone records from January 29, the day of Mr Eacock’s death.

The jury heard the timings of calls and texts made and received by a phone that is believed to operate for the ‘Scooby’ line as a way of organising drug deals between sellers and customers in Hereford.

The jury heard that the phone may have had multiple users as part of the drugs ring.

The court was told that during the morning of January 29, Boyd called the ‘Scooby’ line phone several times.

One call took place less than thirty minutes before the stabbing took place just before noon.

The jury heard evidence from a mobile phone cell site expert who located the ‘Scooby’ phone to the Tipton area on the day in question.

However, the defence argued that the person who made the call cannot be specified with certainty, as the records do not state who made a specific call or text, they detail only time and location. The trial continues.