A MAN who claims he was "duped" into driving an alleged gunman to and from a house at Stockton on the night Stacey Klimovitch was shot dead told a friend he felt the mastermind "had betrayed him and set him up", a jury has heard.
Mr Garland claims he was "duped" into unknowingly participating in the 61-year-old's murder and told police he was "coaxed" into driving the alleged gunman to and from Stockton on the night of the shooting by the mastermind, Stuart Campbell, who repeatedly asked him to repay a favour.
A friend of Mr Garland gave evidence on Tuesday that the 65-year-old was "quite upset" that someone had been hurt and that his mate, Mr Campbell, had "betrayed him and set him up".
He said Mr Campbell had the motive and arranged the murder, recruiting the alleged gunman to pull the trigger and Mr Garland to drive him to and from Stockton.
He said the three men were engaged in a joint criminal enterprise to murder Mrs Klimovitch and, while he didn't pull the trigger, Mr Garland knew his role was the driver.
Mr Campbell was charged with murder but died before facing trial.
A friend of Mr Garland gave evidence on Tuesday, telling the jury she visited him on the night of the murder and he told her what happened.
"[Steve said] his mate Stuey asked him to do him a favour and drop his mate somewhere," Mr Garland's friend gave evidence. "That Steve drove his mate to Stockton, the guy got out of the car, he was sometime. The guy jumped back in the car and frantically told him to drive, told him to "go, go go". He then dropped him somewhere and returned [home].
When asked by Mr Hatfield if she recalled anything else from that conversation, she replied: "He felt Stuey had set him up".
The woman denied Mr Garland had said anything to her about his passenger being armed with a gun when he got back into the car at Stockton.
And despite being taken to her statement, which outlined that she was told Mr Garland had seen a gun, she maintained she had not said that to police.
"Then the male got back in the car," the statement said, as read to her by Mr Hatfield. "The male had a gun with him. I can't remember what type. It wasn't a handgun but a rifle is ringing a bell. "Steve told me he didn't see this gun until the bloke got back in the car."
The woman said Mr Garland was worried about gunshot residue being in his car if police seized it and she gave him antibacterial wipes to wipe down the interior.
Defence barrister Tom Hughes told the jury during his opening address that it was disputed Mr Garland was ever party to a joint criminal enterprise with the other two men.
"His position is there was no agreement," Mr Hughes said. "They had kept from him the notorious and hideous intention that resided in Campbell's evil mind. "He was duped into participating as a driver where he knew not that what he was doing was becoming involved in a plan to murder a woman he didn't know at all."
The trial continues.
