Murder accused denies being gunman who shot man dead in 'execution style killing'

A murder accused has denied being the gunman who shot a man dead in an alleged 'execution style killing’.

Abdul Ahsan is standing trial accused of murdering 29-year-old Andre Marshall in 2015. Mr Marshall, who is said to have been a member of the Gooch Gang, was found dead in Urmston after being shot seven times. Prosecutors allege it was an 'execution style killing'.

Mr Ahsan denies the allegation and gave evidence in his defence for the first time at Manchester Crown Court. Jurors have heard that Mr Ahsan was arrested and ‘fled’ to Pakistan after being released on bail.

READ MORE: I know I put the public in danger - but this will have a massive effect on my social life

He was extradited back to the UK earlier this year and is now on trial. Jurors have heard that Mr Ahsan was also said to have been involved in ‘gang related crime’, including acting as a ‘courier’.

Giving evidence, Mr Ahsan said that he met Mr Marshall through a friend of his brother, and said that they became 'quite close'. "He kind of always wanted me around," Mr Ahsan told the jury. “I also enjoyed his company. I looked up to him and I respected him.”

Mr Ahsan said that over time, Mr Marshall asked him for a 'favour'. “He had asked me to collect some money for him on his behalf," Mr Ahsan said.

“I didn’t think much of it. I didn’t believe there to be anything wrong with it. He began to ask me to do it more often for him and I agreed.”

Mr Ahsan said that Mr Marshall would give him money in return. Asked by his barrister Gillian Jones KC where he believed the money came from, the defendant said: "Over time I did understand that it was from drugs."

The defendant said that he also began to move drugs for Mr Marshall. Asked what he thought of his actions now, Mr Ahsan said: “It was very stupid of me. There's a lot more that I could have done without having needed to be involved in drugs and money. It just came to be easy money.

“I used to work at a garage where I had to put in hard work." Mr Ahsan said that on May 19, 2015, the day of the alleged murder, he had been in the car with Mr Marshall.

He said that Mr Marshall, who was driving his BMW, had picked up two other men who also got into the vehicle . Mr Ahsan said he only knew the men by their first names.

The defendant said that when they got into the car, some money was handed over and he was asked to count it. Mr Ahsan said that when he counted the money he discovered there was a 'shortage', with less cash than expected.

Mr Ahsan said that the atmosphere in the car became 'strained'. He said that he was expecting to be dropped off by Mr Marshall, so that he could attend the Archie's fast food restaurant with some friends.

"He [Mr Marshall] decided it was better for me to stay with him, he never gave me the option to leave," Mr Ahsan told the jury. "They are all serious people sat in the car, there was a dispute going on. I could only have imagined that something was going to break out. I didn't want to be in the car, I didn't feel safe in any type of way."

Mr Ahsan said that at one stage in Urmston, before Mr Marshall started to reverse the car, he 'jumped out' of the vehicle. Asked why he did so, the defendant said: "I didn't want to be there, and the first chance I got to leave, I left.

"I just continued running, and didn't look back." The defendant said he ran across a field before flagging down a car which took him to Didsbury.

He then said he travelled to Archie's in Manchester where he met friends. "Did you shoot Mr Marshall?," Ms Jones asked him. "No I didn't, he was a friend of mine," the defendant replied. Mr Marshall's body was discovered the following morning in a car park near St Clement’s Church in Urmston.

Mr Ahsan, of no fixed address, denies murder.

Proceeding.