I have been shot... hurry up
MASSEY MURDER TRIAL HEARS DETAILS OF 53-SECOND 999 CALL HE MADE AFTER BEING GUNNED DOWN
A JURY heard details of a 999 call made by Salford ‘Mr Big’ Paul Massey moments after he had been fatally shot outside his home.
The father-of-five, 55, managed to make four 999 calls from his mobile after he was gunned down but three of them lasted just a few seconds, his murder trial was told.
A transcript of his final 999 call, lasting 53 seconds, was read out to jurors, revealing how he told the call handler he had been shot and urging them to ‘hurry up’ amid confusion about his home address.
His assassin fired 18 rounds at Mr Massey moments after he stepped out of his BMW which he had parked outside the gates of his detached home on Manchester Road in Clifton, Salford, on the evening of July 25, 2015, jurors have been told.
He was said to have dived for cover behind bins as a gunman fired at him with an automatic weapon possibly an Uzi.
The alleged gunman, Mark Fellows, 38, from Warrington, and his alleged ‘spotter’ Steven Boyle, 35, from Heywood, both originally from Salford, deny murdering Mr Massey and his friend John Kinsella, 53, from Liverpool, three years later on May 5 this year.
Both victims were said to have a ‘serious criminal history.’
The Crown says that Mr Fellows cycled to an area behind the community centre opposite Mr Massey’s home and was dressed in combat gear as he went on foot to gun down Mr Massey.
The shooting was part of a ‘war’ between a gang called The A Team, with which Mr Massey was associated, and another gang, according to the prosecution.
On the sixth day of the trial at Liverpool Crown Court, members of Mr Massey’s family walked out mid-way through the reading of the 999 transcript by junior prosecutor Jaime Hamilton after hearing apparent confusion from the call-handler about the address. Operator: “Do you need fire or ambulance?” Paul Massey: “Ambulance. I have been shot.” Operator: “Ambulance?” PM: “(House number) Manchester Road Clifton. I’m outside the house.” Operator: “Outside the address?” PM: “(House number) Manchester Road. I’ve been shot.” Operator: “OK, I will just find the address. Stay on the phone for me OK? Can you just repeat it for me in full?” PM: “(House number) Manchester Road.” Operator: “OK, what area is that in?” PM: “Clifton.” Operator: “In Preston?” PM “Manchester (postcode).” Operator: “Is it Preston?”
As this part of the transcript was being read out for the jury, some friends or family of Mr Massey tutted in the public gallery, got out of their seats and walked out of the courtroom. PM: “Clifton. Clifton. Hurry up.” Operator: “That postcode again for me.” PM: “(Postcode).” Operator: “OK, stay on the line for me yeah?” PM: “Hurry up, he’s shot at (inaudible).”
The court heard that at that point the call went dead. Armed police were scrambled and the jurors heard that when they arrived they found two men ‘clearly in shock’ – Thomas Jeffreys and Lee Taberer – standing beside Mr Massey, saying repeatedly ‘he’s gone.’ Mr Taberer had dried blood on his hands, the court was told.
The jurors were also read transcripts of voicemails said to have been recovered from a phone attributed to John Kinsella, who would be a pall-bearer at Mr Massey’s funeral. One message which was left at 8.12pm on the night of Mr Massey’s shooting, said to have been delivered in a Liverpool accent, said: “Lee they won’t let me through the ****ing roadblock lad. I’m here back at the pub, the Robin Hood. Come down would you?”
A second message delivered at 8.20pm, also in a Liverpool accent, said: “Tom, Louise is here. Get Tabbo and come down now.”
The court heard that the alleged gunman Mark Fellows was himself shot, in the buttock, as he cycled towards his then home on Normanton Avenue in Salford two weeks later. He was discharged from hospital the following day.
Proceeding.