Murder-plot accused ‘thought he was going to look at boiler’

AMAN accused of helping to plan a shooting in an attempted murder claims he thought he was going to fix a boiler.

Ricky Webber, 29, is on trial with two co-defendants Oliver Pearce, 31, and James Drakes, 34, in relation to an alleged “revenge attack” at the home of Lance Keane in Aberdare on February 1.

A witness described seeing “orange flashes” and “loud bangs” during the alleged shooting, where it is claimed Drakes fired through the bedroom window with a gun, which had been provided by Pearce who drove them to the scene.

Webber, of Nythbran Terrace, Porth, is alleged to have been in on the plan and was in Pearce’s white BMW outside Mr Keane’s house in Windsor Street when the shooting took place.

Drakes, of Edmondes Street, Tylorstown, Ferndale, and Pearce, of Ynyslyn Road, Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd, have pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and Pearce has also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with ammunition in a public place.

All three defendants deny attempted murder.

A trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court yesterday heard evidence from Webber who claimed he had no part to play in the plan and believed he was being driven to Pearce’s partner’s house to fix a boiler.

The defendant was asked by his barrister Stephen Rees when he first became aware of the gun.

The gas engineer said: “Basically when they were outside the address of Lance Keane... I recall seeing it when they pulled it out. I saw Pearce pulling it out of the glove box and I recall saying ‘What the f*** is that?’

“I stayed in the back, I bent over with my head to my knees... I didn’t see them... I was in shock at what was happening... I heard a commotion going on outside the car.”

Mr Stephen Rees asked Webber what happened next.

He said: “(We drove) out of the street, over the mountain... I remember them stopping briefly, I can’t recall where, up the mountain, they got out briefly, got back in and we drove off... We drove back to Drakes’ partner’s house and Drakes got out of the vehicle... I went in the front and headed towards my partner’s address... (Pearce) stopped outside his house, he went in his property and my girlfriend lived around the corner so I ran round.”

The defendant said he later told his girlfriend he had “gone to look at a boiler” but it had “gone all Pete Tong”.

The jury were told Webber and Pearce had known each other from school and he described Drakes as a “close friend”.

He was present at an incident involving Lance Keane on January 31, when he turned up at the home of Pearce’s father Konrad Pazstor in Trecynon, where Mr Keane was alleged to be in possession of knives and acting aggressively.

Following the incident, Webber recalled Pearce saying he wanted to “smash (Mr Keane’s) head in”, but he believed this was said in anger.

On the day of the shooting, the defendant claimed Pearce had asked him to attend his partner’s house so he could cut the gas supply off, in order for renovation work to be carried out.

But having believed he was being taken to Pearce’s partner’s home, he said he was driven to Windsor Street and witnessed the alleged hit on Mr Keane.

Mr Stephen Rees said: “Were you any part of a plan to kill or murder Lance Keane?”

Webber said: “No definitely not.” The barrister added: “Were you a willing party for the gun being used for any purpose?”

Webber said “No.” In cross-examination, prosecutor Christopher Rees said the defendant had been “at the heart” of the plan to shoot Mr Keane, having witnessed the incident on January 31.

He said: “What were you doing during the shooting?”

Webber said: “I was in the back of the vehicle with my head in my hands and my head near my knees... I was scared.”

Mr Christopher Rees said: “You are witnessing two friends of yours, Pearce and Drakes, going out to shoot someone weren’t you... When the car drove away, Lance Keane you thought had been shot didn’t you?”

Webber said: “No, I didn’t know what to think... I didn’t get the impression they had shot at him. They said they had fired into his house.”

The defendant then told the court Pearce and Drakes “had a bit of laugh” and said “he won’t do that again”.

He was also asked about a flurry of messages and calls between himself, Drakes and Pearce prior to the shooting. These included a screenshot of Mr Keane’s Facebook profile which had been sent from Pearce to Webber and subsequently forwarded onto Drakes.

Before his arrest, Webber deleted data from his phone including messages, from January 30 to February 2.

Mr Christopher Rees said: “What incriminating material on your phone would there have been about the incident over that period, so why did you delete the messages?”

Webber said: “I was clearing messages.”

The prosecutor added: “The reason is because that is the planning of the attack on Keane?” Webber said: “That’s not correct.” The trial continues.