Woman tells of friendship with man accused of shooting her son

Melissa Crocker, 58, said she met Ernest Leslie Wright, whom she knew as Les, when she moved in to a flat in Howarth Crescent, Bradford, and he lived in a flat above her.

She said in a video played yesterday to a jury at Newcastle Crown Court they became good friends after he said hello to her on that first day. He would buy her presents, and she said: "He's the kindest man I ever met."

When she heard he was moving to Shipley she was upset, she told the court, and after showing her the house in which he was going to lodge, he asked her to move in with him.

The prosecution claim Miss Crocker was vulnerable to manipulation and was persuaded by Wright to have her benefits paid into his bank account instead of that of her son Craig Freear, who had previously handled her financial affairs and done her shopping.

The jury has heard that her friendship with Wright led to "an increasingly bitter dispute" with Mr Freear and his partner Neville Corby.

"They didn't like him and Les didn't like them two," she said.

On the morning of March 30 last year a man wearing a balaclava, whom the prosecution claim was Wright, fired six shots at the home of the two men in Ashbourne Road, Bradford, fatally injuring Mr Corby. Mr Freear was also injured but escaped through a bathroom window.

Wright, 68, denies the murder of Mr Corby, the attempted murder of Mr Freear, and two charges of possessing a shotgun with intent.

He maintains he was not the gunman and was elsewhere at the time of the shooting shortly before 8am.

Miss Crocker said she was annoyed about her son not buying her shopping, particularly cigarettes when he said he would and was told by Wright if her benefits were paid into his account he would get her a credit card so she could go to the shops and get what she wanted.

He had told her: "I don't need your money, I've got my own."

She said on the evening of March 29 Wright had not stayed at their new address in Stubbing Road, Shipley but went out at 10pm to meet a friend.

The next morning she was waiting for him to return because with cigarettes. She told police he had arrived about 7.50 am but in a later interview said that was a mistake and he had arrived between 8.30-8.45am.

"I got mixed up because other mornings he had come in at 7.50am, but it was a lot later that morning."

She said Wright was only in the house about five minutes when he told her they were going and drove her to Leeds to see a solicitor about getting an injunction against Mr Corby. He seemed in a rush.

Later that day when they drove back towards the house he noticed police activity in that area and dropped her off. It was the last time she saw him.

She said he was frightened of the police but she did not know why.

The trial continues.