Man denies recruiting friend to shoot 'kid' in car row

Ryan Coleman told a jury at Leeds Crown Court yesterday he only planned to get the cost of the damage from the "kid" responsible and had no idea that his friend Dwayne Mitchum had a gun with him when they went to the teenager's home in Red Hall Chase, Whinmoor, Leeds.

He said he had asked Mitchum to go with him and two others because he understood a metal bar had been used to smash the window and he did not feel safe going round on his own.

"Were you looking for a fight," his counsel David Nathan QC asked him. "No" he replied.

He said he was taking the others to avoid trouble. He was shocked and panicked when he found out someone had been shot and seriously injured as he returned to his car for his phone.

The jury has been told it was not Daniel Wright, the teenager responsible for the damage, who was shot but his father Christopher as he answered the door.

Coleman, 21, of East Moor Crescent, Moortown, Leeds and Mitchum, 26 of Ryan Place, Leeds, both deny conspiracy to murder Daniel Wright or an alternative of conspiracy to cause him grievous bodily harm on April 6. Coleman also denies conspiracy to assault him.

Mitchum further denies attempting to murder Christopher Wright or the alternative of causing him grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing a shotgun with intent to endanger life on April 6 and five other gun offences on later dates.

Coleman said a friend, Connor Ratcliffe, called him about the damage to the Vauxhall Corsa car which he and James Rushforth had been using.

He told them to wait in the car park at the Wellington pub on Wetherby Road so he could assess the damage, which was registered in his name, intending to find the person responsible and get the money for the repair.

He had tried to get his brother Oliver to come with him and a cousin, but his brother was working and the other was out. He phoned Mitchum and arranged to pick him up. Mitchum had a sports bag with him but he did not pay attention to it.

After they got to the pub he saw the damage and the ex-girlfriend of Daniel Wright. She was angry and wanted to cause trouble so he decided not take her with them when they went to Red Hall Chase.

As they started to walk to the house he realised he had left his phone in his car and went back for it, expecting the others to wait. He heard a scream and saw them running towards him. They motioned to him to run and he did.

Under cross examination by Mark McKone prosecuting, Coleman denied he felt "angry and disrespected" over the damage and had arranged for Mitchum to carry out a shooting.

Mitchum denies being the gunman or being at the scene .

The trial continues.