Murder-accused gunman 'only meant to scare'

Barry Dawson was killed at his home in Stanley, County Durham, in April

A man who shot and killed a 60-year-old through a living room window has told a murder trial he only meant to "scare" the occupants of the house.

Barry Dawson was fatally struck in the chest when a handgun was fired into his home in Stanley, County Durham, in April, Teesside Crown Court has heard.

Sean Reay, 30, admits firing the weapon but said he could not see who was in the room, telling jurors he meant to "put some windows out" after he had been threatened earlier in the day.

Four other men who went to the scene with Mr Reay deny murder.

Mr Dawson was shot as he stood in the living room of his home on Elm Street in South Moor at about 17:15 BST on 5 April, jurors have heard.

A CCTV video seen by the jury showed one man smashing the living room window with a brick, before another stepped forward and fired a single shot into the room.

The defendants, all of whom are from Stanley and deny murder, are:

• Sean Reay, 30, of Clavering Place

• Keith Dorward, 48, of no fixed address

• Kevin Dorward, 38, of New Durham Road

• Thomas Lee Sterling, 22, of The Avenue

• Kelvin Lawson, 37, of Frosterley Gardens

Mr Reay said he did not have any issues with Mr Dawson, who he knew of but did not speak to, and did not know he was in the house when he fired at it.

Mr Reay said earlier in the day a "green Jeep" had pulled up next to him and the occupant had threatened to burn his house down with him and his son inside.

He told jurors he then went to Elm Street to "put some windows out" but said Mr Dawson was not involved in the earlier threat, while he could not recall if Mr Dawson's son Shane, who was also in the house, had been in the Jeep.

He and his four co-accused went to the scene in a white Seat Arona belonging to Kevin Dorward, the court heard.

When asked by his barrister David Lamb KC if he intended to kill or seriously injure anyone, Mr Reay replied: "No."

When asked what his intention was in shooting, Mr Reay said: "To scare them. Just to scare."

He said he could not see who was in the living room and the sun was in his eyes when he fired.

'Fled to Ireland'

Mr Dawson was declared dead at the scene about an hour after being shot, the court has heard, with the bullet having pierced his heart and lodged in a sofa cushion behind him.

Mr Reay said he did not realise anyone had been injured until later that evening when he was told by someone he knew that Mr Dawson had died, which made him feel "sick of my life".

Mr Reay told jurors he accepted he was the person who killed Mr Dawson but "it was an accident".

He said he "panicked" and got a train to Edinburgh with Thomas Sterling and Kelvin Lawson, before returning by taxi to County Durham a few hours later.

Mr Reay then got a lift to Stranraer from where he caught the ferry to Northern Ireland and spent the following five days in a hotel in Dublin, the court heard.

He was arrested as he tried to return to the UK, telling jurors he was coming back to hand himself in as it was "the right thing to do".

Keith and Kevin Dorward have both admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by setting the Seat Arona alight in the aftermath of the shooting, jurors were told.

Mr Reay said he told the men to "get rid of the car".

The car was set alight and abandoned after the shooting

In cross-examination by prosecutor Francis FitzGibbon KC, Mr Reay said he did not know why he had been threatened earlier in the day and he would "not say the name" of the man who did it.

When asked why not, he said he did not want to put his family at risk .

Mr Reay also refused to say where he got the gun from or what happened to it afterwards as he feared "repercussions", but said it was "God's honest truth" that is was not from his friend Kelvin Lawson.

The jury has heard DNA matching Mr Lawson's was found on the bullet casing, with Mr Reay telling jurors the weapon was already loaded when he got it.

When asked by Mr GitzGibbon if he had gone to Elm Street to "settle scores", Mr Reay said his aim was to "put fear" into those threatening him and he wanted to be left alone.

Mr Reay said he "just knew" the man he wanted was in the house as he was "always there".

When asked how he funded his trips to Scotland and Ireland, which he said cost about £3,000, Mr Reay said he used his "savings".

He told jurors he did not work but would sit at home playing on his games console while saving up money from his benefits.

The trial continues.