Three teens accused of murdering an 18-year-old left him to die as they went off and played football in Norwich, a court has heard.

Joe Dix was attacked outside his flat in Vale Green, Mile Cross, by a group "involved in the supply of drugs" wearing balaclavas and wielding weapons.

Eastern Daily Press: Police in Vale Green after Joe Dix was stabbed to deathPolice in Vale Green after Joe Dix was stabbed to death (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Mr Dix's partner, Lauren Carr, called 999 shortly before 7pm on January 28 last year to tell emergency services her boyfriend had been stabbed.

Norwich Crown Court heard he was taken to hospital but pronounced dead at 8.06pm by which time his alleged attackers, Hans Beeharry, Benjamin Gil and Cameron Palmer, all 19, were playing football at Goals on Hall Road, Norwich.

Eastern Daily Press: Joe DixJoe Dix (Image: Submitted)

All three have gone on trial accused of Mr Dix's murder while another man, Yaman Uslu, also 19, has been charged with assisting an offender.

William Hughes KC, who opened the prosecution case on Tuesday (August 1) and Wednesday (August 2) said it was the prosecution's case that Beeharry, Gil and Palmer were "involved in the stabbing that led to Joe Dix's death and each were a party to his murder".

Eastern Daily Press: Police in Vale Green after Joe Dix was fatally stabbedPolice in Vale Green after Joe Dix was fatally stabbed (Image: Newsquest)

He said Uslu "knew of the murder" and with the other defendants helped to "clear up" as they "disposed of items related to that murder".

The jury panel of eight men and six women were told Mr Dix left his Vale Green flat after he received a call stating "my friend is in trouble".

The flat in Vale Green where Mr Dix was headed was described by his partner as a "crack house" where a drug dealer had set up a county lines drugs operation.

Eastern Daily Press: Floral tributes to Joe Dix left in Vale GreenFloral tributes to Joe Dix left in Vale Green (Image: Newsquest)

Miss Carr heard "shouting" and looked out of the window before running from the flat to find Mr Dix who was "holding his belly saying he had been stabbed".

Gil, of Lefroy Road, Norwich, Beharry, of Bracondale, Norwich, and Palmer, of Theobald Road, Norwich had all been dropped off at Sloughbottom Park, near to Vale Green at 6.21pm on January 28 last year.

Mr Hughes said messages later found on the defendants' phones related to "a robbery of cash and or drugs" from the Vale Green flat in which they "were to be involved".

By 6.43pm Gil, Beharry and Palmer were picked up on CCTV walking towards Vale Green with Gil walking as if there was "something concealed within his trousers".

Eastern Daily Press: Police in Vale Green after Joe Dix was stabbed to deathPolice in Vale Green after Joe Dix was stabbed to death (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

CCTV cameras in the area picked up four figures who, the prosecution asserted, was Mr Dix being chased by the defendants.

Mr Hughes said both Gil and Palmer were holding weapons during the pursuit before Mr Dix was "fatally stabbed".

At 6.55pm Mr Dix could be seen on camera walking back walking towards his address when he collapsed.

The defendants walked back towards Seaman Tower, the home of Gil, before a series of calls were made to Uslu, starting at 7.15pm.

Uslu left his Horner Close home in Norwich and took them to Goals where they arrived just before 8pm and "played football" until about 8.45pm during which time Mr Dix had died.

Eastern Daily Press: Vale Green cordoned off after Joe Dix was stabbed to deathVale Green cordoned off after Joe Dix was stabbed to death (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Palmer received a call at Goals at 8.46pm and Mr Hughes said by the time they left it was a "reasonable inference" Mr Dix's death "was known to the three defendants" and to Uslu.

He said: "What the crown say is once the news of Joe Dix's death had become well known what followed involving the four defendants was a concerted and deliberate attempt to cover the tracks of the first three defendants in killing Mr Dix".

Jurors were told a mobile phone disposed of by Palmer in the River Yare was recovered, dried out and subsequently unlocked by police earlier this year resulting in police accessing new information about the case.

Interrogation of Palmer's phone led police to recover remnants of burnt clothing worn by the defendants which was recovered in February this year from land at Bixley Manor Estate at Trowse.

It also revealed details of snapchat conversations he had with others around the time of Mr Dix's death.

Eastern Daily Press: Joe DIxJoe DIx (Image: Supplied by family of Joe Dix)

Palmer left a voice note on the chat stating it had been "nice and quick, quick as you like".

Gil, Beeharry and Palmer all deny murder and Uslu has pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender.

The trial continues.