A FIREARMS policeman was hit by flying glass when a gunman shot at his unmarked car, a court heard yesterday.

Pc Andrew Branch had only been in the firearms unit for three weeks when he and colleague Pc Marcus Banks went to a block of flats in Clare Hill, Huddersfield, last November 10, shortly after a shooting in Alder Street, Hillhouse.

Prosecutor Simon Myerson QC said Pc Branch, who had been in the force for nine years, was in the passenger seat of a Vauxhall Omega when the gunman fired at the officers, shattering the windscreen.

Flying glass hit Pc Branch's arm.

Marcus Rhoden, 23, of no fixed address, has already pleaded guilty to trying to murder the officers.

But yesterday, Rauhel Delucca, 37, of Huddersfield, went on trial at Bradford Crown Court, accused of being the gunman in the Alder Street shooting and jointly possessing the Browning handgun and ammunition used by Rhoden.

Mr Myerson said Delucca, Rhoden and a third man had travelled to Alder Street with a 9mm handgun in their Fiat car.

The court heard that Delucca and Rhoden had a history of `bad relations' with a man called Matthew Francois.

The Fiat was parked alongside his empty Seat Leon car, which was outside a takeaway.

Mr Myerson said: "Mr Delucca got out of the car. He had the gun with him and he shot up Mr Francois's vehicle."

The court heard that Delucca, of Lonsbrough Flats, Southgate, fired five or six shots, hitting the Seat and another vehicle parked nearby before being driven away in the Fiat.

Delucca has pleaded not guilty to possessing a prohibited firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possessing a prohibited firearm - the 9mm handgun - in relation to the incident in Alder Street.

In relation to the shooting in Clare Hill, Delucca has pleaded not guilty to possessing a prohibited firearm - the Browning handgun - and possessing a quantity of 9mm ammunition without a firearms certificate.

Mr Myerson said the re-activated Browning which was used to shoot at the officers was in the joint possession of Rhoden and Delucca.

After shooting at the officers Rhoden ran into the nearby block of flats.

While the officers were covering the rear of the premises Rhoden, together with Delucca and the third man, jumped out through a front window and ran off.

Mr Myerson said a woman in the flat had allegedly seen Delucca and the other man `handing things up' to Rhoden as he was putting the guns and ammunition in the loft area.

The two prohibited handguns were later recovered from the loft.

DNA testing established that Delucca had fired the 9mm handgun and the bullets found in Alder Street had come from that weapon.

Mr Myerson said Delucca was regarded by others as a `fantasist'.

He said that following the two incidents on November 10 Delucca had made video and written confessions, claiming responsibility for everything, including the shooting at the police officers.

He said Delucca had made arrangements to go to the Caribbean in December and had started selling all his belongings.

Delucca was arrested in Huddersfield before he was able to leave the country.

In his first interview he continued to deny responsibility for both incidents.

But in a later interview he said he had shot up Mr Francois's car, with the intention of sending him a message.

The trial is expected to last until next Monday.