Three men who were shot at in a drive-by shooting had been involved in drug dealing, a jury heard.

Philip Nriapia, also known by his nickname ‘Tank’, is on trial accused of shooting and trying to murder members of the Latif family – Hatib Latif and his two uncles Atif and Adeel Latif – on August 29 last year.

The youngest, 16-year-old Hatib Latif, was in a relationship with Nriapia's 14-year-old daughter Tyler, which had recently ended and it is alleged that is what the shooting was over.

The shooting took place outside the Pilgrim Shop on Ravenshouse Road in Dewsbury.

The scene of a firearms incident on Ravenshouse Road, Dewsbury.

Christopher Rose, prosecuting, previously told Leeds Crown Court that Nriapia shot Atif Latif in the chest as he was driving by in his silver Toyota Corolla after threatening the men and arranging to meet them there.

But Mark McKone, defending, alleged that the three Latifs were involved in drug dealing.

Nriapia was also accused of being a drug dealer, with alleged victim Adeel Latif saying in his statement to police: “I have known Tank for about one year. I know that he is a drug dealer.”

He also told police that in a phone call before the shooting, the defendant called Atif Latif a b*****d, P**i c**t’, adding: “Come to the shop and I will kill you.”

During cross-examination, Mr McKone asked Adeel Latif and a number of the prosecution’s other witnesses about an incident of violent disorder in Pilgrim Drive in March 2017 in which around 30-40 people were involved and some wielded machetes and baseball bats.

The scene of a firearms incident on Ravenshouse Road, Dewsbury.

Adeel Latif responded to many of the barrister’s questions with “I don’t know” and “I can’t remember” and at one point Mr Justice King, the presiding judge, told Mr McKone: “I suspect you are going to get ‘I can’t remember’ on anything you put to him.”

When he was asked what his brother Atif, who he said he is close to and even spends two to three hours per day with, works as, he replied: “I don’t know.” Changing his answer, he then said: “He is a carer for someone.”

Mr Rose had previously told the court that Atif Latif and his brother-in-law Basharat Hussain met up with Nriapia the night before the shooting to discuss cutting contact between the teens, with Nriapia saying: “I’m begging you as a Muslim brother, I don’t want to go down them lines.”

Mr McKone asked Mr Hussain: “What was the problem with the relationship?”

Mr Hussain replied: “I don’t know – ask them.”

He also denied knowing what the Pilgrim Drive incident was about.

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When asked if his family had enemies, he replied: “There are disputes – not enemies – and ongoing matters.”

Atif’s cousins Raffia Afzal and Safina Bi and Mrs Bi’s friend Saira Bi all witnessed the shooting.

Mrs Safina Bi said: “After the shooting, mentally, I have not been well.”

The women described the shooter as an Asian man in his 40s and said he was ‘skinny’ with a ‘long and pointy nose.’

Nriapia, 43, of Ravens Avenue in Dewsbury, denies three counts of attempted murder and one count of possession of a firearm, namely a shotgun, with intent to endanger life.

The trial continues.