KILLER Darren Foley said he shot Michael Hanley to prove himself, a court heard.

Foley, 19, from Dalton, made the confession to his girlfriend Leanne Keegan weeks after he shot Mr Hanley dead outside Sheridan's Bar nightclub, Ravensthorpe, on December 27, 2005.

Mr Hanley, 23, from Harehills, east Leeds died at the scene from a single bullet wound to the abdomen.

Last week Foley pleaded guilty to murder. He was on trial with Jamie Hislop, 22, from Sheepridge and Shane Thomas, 23, of Longroyd Bridge. Both deny murder.

Another defendant Igor Simic, 20, from Berry Brow, denies perverting the course of justice.

In a statement, read to Leeds Crown Court, Ms Keegan said Foley confessed to the killing. Foley told her he had got into a fight with Mr Hanley after the two had collided in the club.

Ms Keegan said Foley admitted he wished he had aimed lower and could 'take it back'.

She said he confessed to firing because he wanted to let Hanley know he was 'no little dickhead'.

Single mother Ms Keegan said: "After that I'd heard enough. I just wanted to get away. I didn't want much to do with him."

In her statement Ms Keegan said Foley admitting giving the gun to his neighbour, who passed it on to a friend for cleaning, before another friend disposed of it. Ms Keegan also said Foley confessed to burning his clothes.

The court heard from witness Horace Murdoch. He said Hislop and Thomas had threatened to burn his house with his family inside.

Mr Murdoch said Hislop, Thomas and Simic arrived in a car outside his house.

He said: "There were coming to threaten my family. They were showing me I was going to get shot. Both of them (Hislop and Thomas) gave the gun sign. (They said) that I'm grass and my daughter is a grass.

"I said if you're going to do it, do it now. They said they ain't going to do it now (but) they were going to burn my house down with my family in it. Jamie Bling (Hislop) said it and Mac 10 (Thomas) backed him up."

Mr Murdoch said he had earlier confronted Thomas and Simic because they were trying to intimidate his family. But under cross-examination Mr Murdoch admitted he had not heard any threats from Simic.

He also admitted to a number of violent offences, two burglaries and one robbery in the early 80s for which he was imprisoned.

The court heard from forensic scientist Jeffrey Gray. Mr Gray said there was 'strong support' that glass found in Thomas' VW Golf came from a burgundy BMW. The BMW had been used by Vinod France, a friend of Mr Hanley, to escape a gun man near where Mr Hanley had been shot.

Another Forensic scientist, Gillian Leak said traces of Foley's blood were found on Mr France's jeans.

The case continues.