18-year-old Umar Shafiq today told a jury at Manchester Crown Court the cataglogue of events that led to a fight in Thompson Park and the death of his father, Mohammed Raja Shafiq (50).

Umar, a second-year student at Burnley College, told the court how tension had built up between himself and one of the defendants, Mohammed Shadab Akhtar, known as Shadab, who had been allegedly pressurising him to drop an assault complaint relating to an incident last October.

The court also heard about an incident in February this year in which Shadab's father shouted at Umar in Nelson to drop the charges. Uman claims Shadab's father kicked him during the argument.

The court was then told of an incident on March 3rd, the day before the fatal fight in Thompson Park. Umar was having lunch at a Burnley takeaway when he bumped into Mohammed Bhatti - known as Bilal - one of the four defendants and offered to shake his hand. He said Bilal refused, claiming it was because he would not drop the charges against the defendant.

Mr Peter Birkett (defending Bilal Bhatti) then read out an email which Umar sent to his friend, Shakad Ali, later that day. Umar wrote in the email he had "rang many boys to sort these lads out once and for all."

When questioned by the barrister what this meant, Umar replied he wanted the conflict resolving peacefully, not by a fight.

The court then heard how around 15 friends of Umar gathered at the park the next day to meet the four defendants and their friends.

Mr Birkett said the four defendants were only accompanied by four other people however Umar disagreed, saying the other group had up to 20 people.

Mr Birkett argued tthe defendants believed there was going to be a one-on-one fight between Shadab Akhtar and a friend of Umar's, Ali Altaf.

The trial continues and is expected to last four weeks.