Murder-accused says shooter told him to burn car

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

A man who admits arranging for his car to be burnt out after it was involved in a fatal shooting has told a murder trial the gunman told him to "get rid" of it.

Barry Dawson was fatally hit 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 did not mean to hit anyone, while four other men who went to the scene with him deny murder.

His co-accused Kevin Dorward, 38, said he did not know Mr Reay was armed and would not have allowed his car to be used if he had known where they were going.

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.

The defendants, all of whom are from Annfield Plain near 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 has told jurors he went to South Moor with his four-accused in Kevin Dorward's Seat Arona to "scare" someone who had threatened him earlier.

Kevin Dorward said he had known Mr Reay since childhood and went to the gunman's home on 5 April to buy cocaine, with Mr Reay then asking him to give him a lift somewhere.

Kevin Dorward, an alcoholic and cocaine addict who was about "six out of 10" on a scale of intoxication at the time, agreed.

His distant cousin Keith Dorward, who he called his uncle, drove the five men to South Moor, the court heard.

On the way, Mr Reay said they were "going to smash some windows", Kevin Dorward said.

'Didn't want bother'

Under questioning by his barrister Chris Tehrani KC, Kevin Dorward said had he known they were going to an address linked to Mr Dawson's son Shane, who he knew, he would not have let his car be used.

"I'd class Shane as a friend so I wouldn't take someone to his house to do something to him," he said.

He said he never saw the handgun or heard it be fired.

If he had seen the pistol he would have left Mr Reay, he said, adding: "I'd have got straight in my car and I would have been gone."

Initially Keith Dorward drove them away but he was driving too slowly so they pulled over and Kevin Dorward took over to get them back to Annfield Plain, the court heard.

It was only when they were at his co-accused Thomas Sterling's house that Kevin Dorward found out someone had been shot, he told jurors.

He said he didn't believe it initially as he had never seen the gun, but Mr Reay "went all funny" and lay down on the ground looking ill.

The Seat Arona used by the men to get to and from Elm Street was set alight and abandoned after the shooting

As they split up later, Kevin Dorward said Mr Reay told him to "get rid" of the car, which he took to mean: "Just burn it out."

Later that evening Kevin Dorward went to the Democratic Club, known as the Demi, in Annfield Pain, to drink, while Keith Dorward carried out the pair's plan and set the car alight in a field, the court heard, although the fire burned out before much damage was caused.

Kevin Dorward said he wanted to make it look like the car was stolen and the following morning his partner, Michaela Hetherington, 35, reported to police it had been taken.

The court heard Hetherington has admitted perverting the course of justice, but Kevin Dorward said she did not actually know about his and Keith Dorward's plan.

When asked why he answered no comment in his police interview, Kevin Dorward said he was "scared" because if "people my way" thought someone was a "grass", that person could be attacked or have their house burnt down.

"They're not bothered if the kids are in the house, they still set fire to it," he said.

Both Dorwards have admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by conspiring to set the Arona alight.

The trial continues.