A Moroccan asylum seeker accused of murdering a pensioner in the street had previously cursed two housemates who had become Christians and called them “devils”, a court heard.

Muslim Ahmed Alid is charged with stabbing Terence Carney, 70, who was out walking in Hartlepool town centre, eight days after Hamas launched its attack on Israel.

The prosecution at Teesside Crown Court claims that Alid was motivated to get “revenge” for the Palestinian victims of Israel.

The 45-year-old first attacked his Iranian housemate Javed Nouri, a Christian convert, and stabbed him six times as he slept in his room at the Home Office-approved property in Wharton Terrace.

Mr Nouri, who the jury has heard is bigger than Alid, managed to fight him off and Alid fled into the street where his path crossed with Mr Carney, a stranger, whom he fatally stabbed.

The jury has heard how Mr Nouri and Alid had previously fallen out about religion, and how Mr Nouri had converted to Christianity.

Their housemate Mohammed Karimi, also from Iran and a fellow convert to Christianity, told investigators Alid would curse them in the house and say in Arabic: “You are devils”.

Mr Karimi told detectives: “I could ignore that but Javed could not.”

Asked to explain why he thought Alid would curse them, Mr Karimi replied: “I am from Iran, a Muslim country.

“He hated when I was drinking (alcohol) or having a girlfriend.

“I am a Christian and Javed, he was a Muslim and he turned Christian.”

He explained the context of a Muslim using those curses, telling police: “When you see someone you don’t like, anyone who is not Muslim, anyone or anything who offends your religion, (they say) ‘Devil go away, you are a devil, God damn you’.”

Mr Karimi said some Muslims had “no problems” with people from another religion.

“You have some Muslims like Ahmed, they just want to force you to be Muslim,” he said.

Alid denies murder, attempted murder and two counts of assaulting female detectives after he was arrested.

The trial continues.