Psycho boast of ‘smirking’ killer who shot student

A gunman who later boasted his name was Psycho “smirked or laughed” after he walked up to a stranger and shot him through the head, a court heard yesterday.

Kiaran Stapleton, 21, approached Indian student Anuj Bidve, 23, and his friends in the street in Salford and asked them what the time was.

Without warning he produced a gun, put it to the head of Mr Bidve and shot him dead.

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Mr Bidve was a postgraduate student at Lancaster University and was spending last Christmas with friends in Manchester.

He was on his way from his hotel through Ordsall, Salford to Manchester city centre with his friends when he was killed.

Opening the case, prosecutor Brian Cummings QC told Manchester Crown Court: “Anuj Bidve immediately fell to the ground, fatally injured. The gunman smirked or laughed and ran off.”

He told the jury that Stapleton had pleaded guilty to his manslaughter three weeks as evidence against him mounted up but continues to deny murder.

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Mr Bidve was staying at a hotel in Salford with eight fellow Asian students and they decided to queue overnight for the Boxing Day sales and set off some time after midnight.

Their route took them along Ordsall Lane and they saw two males walking in the opposite direction. One of them crossed the road towards them and after being told it was 1.30am, Mr Bidve was shot.

The second man Ryan Holden was arrested on December 28 and his friend Stapleton the day after.

Holden told officers he was afraid for his own safety and that of his family, but after being given reassurances became a prosecution witness.

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Holden told police his cousin, Chelsea Holden, had been in a long-term relationship with Stapleton but had split up.

Stapleton and Holden spent Christmas night with friends and at one point someone mentioned Ms Holden had slept with another man while she and Stapleton were living together. Stapleton was angry and said something like “If I see him, I’ll kill him”.

The pair left the house for a takeaway just as Mr Bidve and his party walked up the same s road.

After telling Holden ‘Wait here a minute.’ and borrowing his hat, Stapleton walked across the road.

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Mr Cummings said: “He couldn’t hear anything that was said but he saw Kiaran Stapleton raise his arm and make a gesture as though he was asking the time.

“He, Kiaran Stapleton, moved back a little and Ryan Holden again saw Kiaran Stapleton raise an arm, he couldn’t remember if it was the same arm, stretch it out, as if he was going to shoot and then Ryan Holden heard a loud shot.”

The pair ran back to Stapleton’s house where they both showered and Holden’s clothes were changed.

Stapleton later booked into a hotel not far from the killing. CCTV footage showed him looking out of the windows at the crime scene.

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Two days alater Stapleton went to a tattoo shop and had a tear drop inked on his face. The court heard that in gang culture, it means the wearer has killed someone.

After his arrest in Leigh by armed police in the early hours of December 29, Stapleton largely replied “no comment”.

But when told that Mr Holden had given evidence, he said: “So I suppose Ryan will be under the ... how do you want to put it ... the witness protection? Cos he’s gonna need a hell more than that.”

Later in court he shouted out to his friends that Holden had spoken to police and then when asked if his name was Kiaran Stapleton he replied, ‘No, Psycho. Psycho Stapleton’.”

Mr Bidve’s parents, Subhash and Yogini, flew from their home in Pune, India, to attend the trial and listened intently.

The trial continues today.

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