Firearms accused are to stay silent

SIX DEFENDANTS WON’T GIVE ANY EVIDENCE, COURT HEARS

Court Reporter SIX men accused of firearms offences after two Newcastle homes were shot at will not be giving evidence at their trial, a court heard.

Prosecutors claim Michael Conroy, Darren Appleby, Jamie Moran, Kenneth Moran, Bailey Wilson and Sean Ree conspired to shoot at a house in Drysdale Court, Brunswick, while the first three are also accused of opening fire at a home in Oakfield Gardens, Benwell.

All six deny a series of offences including possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Giving his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Matthew Donkin pointed out that Sean Ree pleaded guilty to being a conspirator on December 14 last year.

“He was party to an agreement to go to Drysdale Court to carry out the shooting,” he said.

Mr Donkin said there was an “overwhelming” case that one of the people Ree conspired with to carry out the shooting was Wilson and the prosecutor went on to say one of the other conspirators was Moran.

He told jurors: “In the shooting on January 4, the phone that was demonstrably his [Moran’s] and the Mazda he had been six days earlier were present.”

He went on: “There was a plan to shoot at Paul Scott’s house. Apart from shooting at the wrong house, the plan seems to have been executed as intended and certainly life may have been endangered because of that act.”

Turning to Conroy, Appleby and Jamie Moran in relation to the Brunswick shooting, Mr Donkin reminded jurors the home of Appleby, on Deepdale Crescent, Cowgate, was shot at on January 8. He pointed out Appleby’s mother and sister lived there, and Conroy’s dad lived there.

Mr Donkin said: “They didn’t call the police. The prosecution say the defendants closely connected to that address had no interest in what the police were able to do because they would be taking matters into their own hands.

“The means to do so were at Wingrove Avenue and they were used that night in retaliation for that shooting.” Mr Donkin said the address at Wingrove Avenue where the rifle and ammunition were found was a “safe house”. Michael Conroy, 36, of Heathfield Crescent, Cowgate, Newcastle; Darren Appleby, 23, of Deepdale Crescent, Cowgate; Jamie Moran, 28, of Whickham View, Newcastle; Kenneth Moran, 27, of Caroline Cottages, Slatyford, Newcastle; Sean Ree, 25, of Coach Road, Wallsend; and Bailey Wilson, 21, of Cartmell Green, Slatyford, all deny conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life in relation to the Brunswick shooting.

Ree has pleaded guilty to the lesser alternative of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, which the others deny. Appleby, Conroy and Jamie Moran deny conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life in relation to the Benwell shooting and deny the alternative of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Conroy denies possessing ammunition, a .22 bullet, without a certificate. Appleby and Jamie Moran deny possessing a firearm without a certificate, namely a pump-action rifle, and possessing ammunition without a certificate, namely .22 bullets.

Ree denies criminal damage in relation to the alleged attack on Cafe West on October 13.

The trial continues. Matthew Donkin

Apart from shooting at the wrong house, they appear to have executed the plan as intended