Man accused of being involved in boy’s shooting
ASTOCKPORT man has gone on trial accused of being involved in the shooting of a sevenyear-old boy and his mum.
John Thomasson, aged 50, of Wakefield Crescent, is one of seven men on trial after Christian Hickey and his mum Jayne, 30, were blasted in the legs as they opened the door to their home in Winton, Eccles.
The boy was hit in the thigh while his mother was shot in each leg above the knee, the court was told.
Both underwent a series of surgeries before being discharged from hospital, the trial heard.
Mr Thomasson is on trial at Manchester Crown Court, along with Carne Thomasson, 28, Christopher Hall, 49, and Aldaire Warmington, 32, all of no fixed abode. All four deny conspiring with others to commit murder between October 10 and 13, 2015.
The four men and three others – James Coward, 21, and Dominic Walton, 26, both of no fixed abode, and Lincoln Warmington, 32, of Summerville Road, Salford – deny conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The particulars of the charge allege the seven men conspired with others to dispose of an Audi car said to have been used as part of the alleged conspiracy to commit murder.
Beside the seven men in the dock is another accused over an earlier shooting - that of career criminal Jamie Rothwell. John Kent, 54, of Culverwell Drive, Salford, denies conspiracy to commit GBH and conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Jacob Harrison, 26, of Sumberland House, Salford, has pleaded guilty conspiracy to cause GBH with intent in connection with the same incident.
The jury has been told that the weapon used to gun down Mrs Hickey and her son was the same one used in the attack on Mr Rothwell.
The probable target of the shooting was Christian’s father, Chris Hickey, who was a friend of a gang leader at war with a gang called The A Team, according to the prosecution.
A video was played to the court of Mrs Hickey being interviewed in hospital after the shooting.
In the interview, she said: “I tried slamming the door and the next thing I look and there’s blood pouring out of my son’s leg. I looked at me and seen I have been injured as well.
“I started screaming for Chris to come. I told him to sort Christian and lock the front door so nobody could get in. I was just telling him to sort Christian, sort Christian and leave me.
“He took Christian into the living room and he was on the phone to the police and the ambulance and whatever else.”