A TEENAGE musician told a jury how he came face-to-face with a gun during an attempted hold-up in Paddock last year.
Saxophone player Abraham Richards described how he had driven to the South Street area with a friend last July and was waiting in the vehicle to pick up another mate when the incident happened.
Alleged gunman William McLaughlin, 34, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor, has denied attempting to rob Mr Richards and his friend Joseph Haigh and has pleaded not guilty to a further charge of possessing an imitation firearm at the time.
Mr Richards told the jury that they had been waiting in the car for about five minutes when a white male approached the open driver's side window.
He told Bradford Crown Court that the man, allegedly McLaughlin, said there had been reports of drug taking in that area and he wanted to see what they had.
“'I think I just assumed he was a police officer but I wanted to see some ID,” said Mr Richards.
“I said we’ll co-operate fully once we’ve seen an ID card of some description”.
The court heard that another car had pulled up behind the complainants’ vehicle and was blocking them in.
“He turned to face the rear of my car and shouted they are wanting to see ID can you bring the ID over please,” alleged Mr Richards.
He alleged that the man began getting angrier when they kept asking for ID and said the stranger then tried to grab the car keys from the ignition.
Mr Richards told the jury that the man eventually said OK I’ll show you my ID and pulled a gun from his pocket.
The 19-year-old said the man then asked for everything he’d got and pointed the gun at his head.
The teenager told the court he felt terrified and there was lots of shouting before he saw the gunman being wrestled away from the car by another man who he assumed had come from the car behind.
During cross-examination Mr Richards rejected suggestions that they had been in the area to deal drugs and the claim about a gun had been made up.
Giving evidence to the jury yesterday McLaughlin, a drug-user with previous convictions, said he had been driven to the area by another man with whom he was going to score drugs.
McLaughlin claimed it was the other man who had gone to the car in front with the money to buy heroin and cocaine.
He said he went over to the car when the other man appeared to become angry and was told that the occupants had taken his money but wouldn't give them the drugs.
McLaughlin said there was a bit of a struggle during which he grabbed some heroin and cocaine before he and the other man drove off.
He told the jury that he had pleaded guilty to all his previous offending, but was denying these matters because he hadn't pulled a gun on anybody or tried to rob anybody.
The court has heard that Mr Richards later picked out McLaughlin on an identification parade.
The trial continues.
