CCTV footage said to show a gunman cycling away from a murder and going to streets where he and an accomplice lived was today played in court.
Patrick Boyle, 26, was shot dead in Huyton on July 1 last year, when prosecutors say he was "shown no mercy" in a "public execution". It is alleged Rueben Murphy was the shooter on an electric bike and that he carried out the killing with the help of Ben Doyle and Thomas Walker.
Murphy, 26, Doyle, 24, and Walker, 20, all deny being involved in the shooting, in Newway, a cul-de-sac off Lordens Road, just before 6pm. A trial at Liverpool Crown Court has heard Lyme Grove in Huyton, where Doyle lived, was "a hub for the launch of the fatal attack".
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Prosecutors say CCTV suggests there was an "altercation" there, involving two men, one of whom was an associate of Mr Boyle, at around 12.40pm. Ian Unsworth, QC, prosecuting, has said Murphy was seen running away afterwards, before he made phone calls and sent texts to Doyle and Walker.
Other CCTV clips are said to show Doyle riding a blue and white Sur-Ron electric bike and performing a wheelie in Lyme Grove at 1.51pm. It is alleged a masked man later seen riding the same bike in the street - by then partially "wrapped in black bin bags" - was also Doyle.
The jury has heard the bike left the rear garden of a property two houses down from Doyle's home at 5.40pm. Prosecutors allege Doyle was on the bike and he was soon joined by Murphy, who they say then split from his associate and used the bike to travel to Newway to carry out the murder.
The victim was shot and struck by at least two bullets just after 5.56pm. Prosecutors allege Walker's DNA was found on a bullet casing left at the scene.
Detective Constable Chris Yensen today told the jury that the cyclist said to be Murphy could be seen travelling along Lordens Road, then turning right onto Southdean Road, a minute after the shooting. Mr Unsworth said: "The rider at this stage can still be seen wearing black gloves and there is this dark material obscuring the lower part of the bike. The main frame is obscured by this."
Jurors were shown footage which Mr Unsworth said showed the cyclist heading to Barkbeth Road in Huyton. The court heard Murphy was living in Barkbeth Road at the time.
Det Con Yensen agreed that the cyclist was shown travelling in the direction of Murphy's home at 5.57pm. Mr Unsworth said: "The bike and rider now go off camera for about eight minutes."
The officer said all CCTV cameras in the area had been located and the cyclist could not be seen on any footage during that period of time. Det Con Yensen told the jury the cyclist was not seen again until 6.05pm, when they headed up Calgarth Road.
He said by then "blue and white markings" could be seen on the bike and "importantly gloves are no longer being worn by the rider". Mr Unsworth highlighted a white logo on the cyclist's left sleeve and a dark coloured stripe on the left thigh of their trouser leg, which he said could also be seen on the rider prior to the shooting.
Det Con Yensen told the jury the cyclist made their way via roads including Stockbridge Lane and Knowsley Lane to Astley Road, Lyme Cross Road, Marton Road, Hathersage Road and finally Lyme Grove by 6.08pm - around 12 minutes after the shooting - to the house two doors down from Doyle's home.
The officer said the cyclist could be seen going into a rear garden at that property via a gate at 6.09pm. He agreed that just beforehand there appeared to be an "interaction" between the cyclist and a man - alleged to be Doyle - standing with two teenage boys by a wall.
Mr Unsworth said: "It's a matter for the jury... the description there, Ben Doyle can be seen with open arms, while looking in the direction of the male alleged to be Reuben Murphy."
The prosecutor said 29 minutes after the bike first left that garden, with "dark material wrapped around the lower part of its frame", it had returned, with "that material no longer evident".
The QC said at that point on the footage, it could be seen that Doyle and the two teenage boys "all follow in the same direction as the rider".
Murphy, of Oak Avenue, Newton-le-Willows; Doyle, of Lyme Grove; and Walker, of no fixed address but formerly of Clubmoor, all deny murder, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, and possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life.
(Proceeding)
