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Two women's lies 'impeded arrest of a murderer' after a 24-year-old man was stabbed to death in a Hartlepool bungalow. Paul Foster, 66, committed suicide before he was

arrested over the murder of Kieran Wood, on May 22, 2023, Teesside Crown Court has been told. Mr Wood, from Horden, East Durham, was working as a drugs runner, and was making a delivery to

15 Spurn Walk, in the Burbank area of Hartlepool - the home of Janette Dowson and Lisa Lithgo. But Teesside Crown Court heard that he walked into an alleged set-up, where Mr Foster

apparently had planned to attack him. Mr Wood arrived at 3.35pm and did not leave the house alive, suffering nine stab wounds to his chest, legs and arm. The court as told that at 2.47pm, Mr

Foster had called 999, and said: "I've got my ex torturing me, right. I'm going to shoot her, right. I'm going to peg her ears. The biggest mistake Raoul Moat made was

shooting himself." Mr Foster had been released from prison three days earlier and he had called his probation officer that day, to cancel his appointment, saying that he had split up

from his partner. Instead he went to the Hartlepool bungalow, where Janette Dowson lived with her partner Kenneth Dowson and Lisa Lithgo. Dr Christopher Wood, prosecuting, told the court

that Lithgo arranged to buy £300 of cocaine from a dealer known as "Turkish". Dr Wood said the deal was a set up by Mr Foster - who intended on robbing and attacking whoever

arrived with the drugs. On Tuesday, the court heard that after the stabbing, Mr Dowson - who is no longer alive - used an emergency call system that connected and recorded Dowson and Lithgo

talking for 16 minutes. Lithgo was heard to say: "He had the stuff, man. He didn't need to do that." Dowson was recorded replying: "F****** Jesus, the poor lad. We ran

into the bedroom, didn't we? Nothing to do with us. We were in the bedroom pet, are you listening? I never seen him before in my life. We're victims as well, aren't we?

We're not going on remand." The court was told that Mr Foster was seen leaving the bungalow, and kissing and hugging Lithgo before he fled. When the police arrived, Dowson told

them that she didn't know Mr Wood or the alleged murderer - but that the man responsible had a shaved head, and she didn't see what happened. SUSPECTED MURDERER'S SUICIDE Mr

Foster's body was found by the police when they went to arrest him in the early hours of May 23. The court heard that if the two women had identified Mr Foster as the man who allegedly

stabbed Mr Wood - then the police would have been able to arrest him before he committed suicide. Mr Wood's father heard about his son's death from other people and he rang the

police to ask. The court heard that the two women's lies delayed the police identifying Mr Wood and contacting his family. The court heard that the police were told that the man

responsible was Mr Foster, by a member of the public, at 6pm that night. CONFESSION The court heard that when an employee of Thirteen Housing later spoke to Dowson and Lithgo - they told her

"they were the victims." The women described Mr Foster as "a bit of a nutter, not in his right mind," and said he was "shadow boxing with the victim, but that he

had knives." Janette Dowson, 57, of Grange Road, and Lisa Lithgo, 38, of Wilson Street, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at a hearing in April. The women

admitted that they lied to the police, pretending they didn't know who the alleged murderer was. But on Tuesday morning, defence barristers said that the two women were scared to let

the police know that it was Mr Foster who allegedly murdered Mr Wood, in front of them. The court heard that "they were frightened of Foster and what Foster do to them, if they spoke

the truth." It is the prosecution's case that the women lied to protect Mr Foster. Judge Francis Laird told the two that a hearing would be scheduled to look at the evidence and

"determine where the truth lies." Both women were granted bail in the meantime. FAMILY PAIN Mr Wood's mother broke down in tears as she read out a statement to the court.

Paula Scott said that "Kieran was my first born and my absolute bundle of joy. He endured many challenges, but he was always loved. My darling boy did fall in with the wrong

crowd." Ms Scott said that she "got the worst possible news any mother can receive - I've been haunted every day and night by the way he's been killed. These two females

here today let the murderer escape justice. "My son wasn't a threat to anyone in that bungalow. He wouldn't ever fight back. My son did not deserve this. This will stay with

me until I'm reunited with my Kieran." A statement from Kieran's dad, Michael Wood, was also read out in court. Mr Wood said that "Kieran did not get involved in

violence. The females here today - through their false information - impeded the arrest of the murderer. I hope they realise the pain and anguish they have inflicted on me and the rest of

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