The plaintiffs in the case are the heirs of musician and producer Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the 1973 hit.

Their lawyer, Ben Crump, cited in evidence a 2014 gig, which he alleged was tantamount to “a confession” by Sheeran.

“When you have a confession in hand, generally one does not need to look elsewhere for the culprit,” Mr Crump said of the video of Sheeran performing. “The evidence in this case is going to show that Sheeran recognised the magic of Let’s Get It On and decided to capture a bit of that magic.”

Ilene Farkas, Sheeran’s lawyer, said that “there are dozens if not hundreds of songs that predate and postdate” Gaye’s song, “utilising the same or similar chord progression”.

“These medleys are irrelevant to any issue in the case and would be misleading [and] confuse the jury,” she added.