The driver of a car whose passenger was shot dead on a slip road of the M62 during a police operation is to go on trial facing firearms charges.
Moshin Amin , 30, pleaded not guilty to three charges relating to the incident in which 28-year-old Mohammed Yassar Yaqub was shot dead by a police marksman at Ainley Top, near junction 24 of the motorway, on January 2 this year.
Amin, previously of Broomer Street, Ravensthorpe , but now living at a bail address in Manchester, appeared before Leeds Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
He denied two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and one of possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life.
On count one, Amin is charged “together with Yassar Yaqub” that he had in his possession a handgun less than 30cm in length with intent to endanger life or to enable another to endanger life.
Count two relates to the possession of a silencer with Yassar Yaqub. Count three relates to the possession of eleven 9mm rounds with Yassar Yaqub.
A trial date was set for December 4 this year but the court was told it was subject to change and could begin slightly earlier or later than that date.
The trial expected to last up to seven days.
David Brook, prosecuting, said the investigation was around three months behind schedule because of delays caused by a separate investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
Amin was granted bail until June 27 when a pre-trial review will take place. The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier, QC, asked Andrew Dallas defending Amin what the issue was likely to be in the case.
Mr Dallas replied: “He didn’t know it (the gun) was in the car and therefore it was not in his possession.”
The judge agreed to a variation in Amin’s curfew from 14 to 12 hours each day from 7pm to 7am.
An inquest into Mr Yaqub’s death was opened and adjourned at Bradford Coroner’s Court in January.
The hearing was told that Mr Yaqub, described as an office clerk, was in an Audi which was brought to a “hard stop”, along with a Volkswagen Scirocco, by four unmarked police cars.
A post-mortem examination revealed he died from gunshot wounds to the chest.
Hundreds of mourners attended his funeral at the Masjid Bilal mosque in Huddersfield.
