South Shields murder conspiracy trial told dispute led to shooting

Aaron Giles and Kevin Chapman are said to have conspired together, “with others unknown”, to murder a man living at his partner's home, in Brownlow Road, South Shields, at 8.36pm on Wednesday September 21, last year.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that the shooting arose from a dispute Mr Giles, a trader in horses, was having with the man, who the prosecution say was the intended target of the shooting.

Jamie Hill KC, prosecuting, said: “We may never know what the root cause of this dispute was, but it’s right to say there had been a series of tit-for-tat incidents, including damage to property and threats to various family members.”

Read more: Five arrested after firearm incident at South Shields property

Mr Hill said the final two of these incidents included damage to front windows of the house in Brownlow Road, on September 17, and a car being damaged in, “an apparent retaliation”, on September 20.

“It’s our case, whatever the rights and wrongs of this dispute, that by September 21 Mr Giles decided to take the dispute to another level and to end the dispute, once and for all.”

Mr Hill said from late afternoon, evidence showed that Mr Giles was in regular phone contact with Mr Chapman, a taxi driver, who picked him up in Sunderland at 7.45pm, after which the meter was turned off in the vehicle.

They are then said to have driven to Leighton Street, in South Shields, where Mr Giles collected a bag, which the prosecution says contained a shotgun, from the boot of a parked Mercedes car, while covering his hand to prevent fingerprint transfer.

Mr Hill said Mr Giles then got back into the taxi, a Skoda Octavia, which was driven to Forth Court, also in South Shields, where the unidentified gunman was collected.

The taxi then made the short journey to Brownlow Road.

Mr Hill told the jury: “Although we don’t know precisely what was being done in the taxi, it can be easily inferred each of the three men were trusted partners.”

CCTV footage from the targeted house in Brownlow Road showed the gunman getting out of the taxi, taking up a position behind a vehicle parked outside.

Mr Hill said by that stage the taxi stickers on the side of the Skoda had been removed in an attempt to disguise the vehicle.

The taxi then drove past the house and a voice from inside the vehicle was heard shouting the name of the man in the property, which the prosecution claim was an attempt to lure him out, so he could be targeted by the gunman.

Mr Hill said while the intended target briefly put his head out of the house, he went back in again, despite the taxi returning to the street and the shouts of: “Go on, go on” coming from the vehicle.

The masked gunman was said to have pulled the shotgun out from his coat and discharged it twice into the front door, with the intended victim, his partner and her young son in the property.

Mr Hill said: “Thankfully, no-one was near to the front door. No-one was physically injured by the firearm.”

Read more: Man charged after firearm was discharged in South Shields

The intended target then came running out of the house with an air gun and chased the gunman into a neighbouring street before giving up the pursuit.

Mr Hill said as the taxi pulled into a nearby street the voice of Mr Giles could be heard shouting to a passer-by: “Tell him that’s off ‘Chucky’,” which was the defendant’s nickname.

The taxi met the gunman, and Mr Giles retrieved the weapon, before they went their separate ways.

Mr Giles was then dropped off by the taxi driver at a social club in South Shields, where another pre-booked cab was waiting to collect him.

Mr Chapman then drove off at speed in his taxi, putting his meter back on as he did so, to resume work.

Mr Hill said the shotgun was never recovered and the gunman remains unidentified.

Mr Giles, who left the region, was arrested in Lewisham in London, two days later, while Mr Chapman was arrested in his vehicle, on September 25.

In two interviews Mr Giles made no replies to police questions, except to say he was not involved in the shooting in Brownlow Road, while Mr Chapman gave police a prepared statement, also denying involvement.

He did say he gave a lift to a friend, who he was not prepared to name, on the night of the incident, but claimed he was unaware of any shooting.

Concluding his opening in the case, Mr Hill told the jury: “The prosecution says there had been an agreement to kill.

“This was obviously a planned expedition.

“The gun was ready and available in a street in South Shields.

"The gunman was collected and transported.

“He was disguised and the taxi was disguised.”

Mr Hill said there were attempts to lure out the intended victim with Mr Giles the “controlling force” in the incident, instructing Mr Chapman and the gunman.

Read next:

               Two suspects in South Shields shooting have been charged

               Two men accused of plotting South Shields murder to go on trial

               Murder plot accused Aaron Giles in court over South Shields shotgun incident

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Mr Giles, 29, of Richardson Avenue, and 40-year-old Mr Chapman, of Hawthorn Avenue, both South Shields, each deny conspiracy to commit murder and the alternative of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

But Mr Giles has admitted possessing a firearm intending to cause a fear of violence, a charge Mr Chapman denies.

The trial continues with live evidence from witnesses tomorrow (Wednesday March 1).