Witness in Aston double murder case will not be named

Charlene Ellis, 18, and Letisha Shakespeare, 17, were cut down by submachine gun fire in Aston, Birmingham, in 2003

A key witness who testified anonymously at a double-murder trial will not be named, a judge has ruled.

Charlene Ellis, 18, and Letisha Shakespeare, 17, were gunned down in Aston, Birmingham, in January 2003.

Four men were convicted of the murders following testimony from a man whose identity remained a secret.

Lawyers for Marcus Ellis and Rodrigo Simms argued over his links to "gangland activity", but a judge dismissed their application.

There were shouts of "do your time" at the end of the short hearing after victims' mothers Marcia Shakespeare, Bev Thomas and loved ones travelled to the Old Bailey, in London, for the hearing.

Outside court, Ms Shakespeare said: "My reaction when they were sentenced was justice had been served.

"I will continue to come and fight for Letisha and Charlene who lost their lives through no fault of their own. By going out enjoying themselves, they were murdered.

"Once you have committed a crime you should do the time."

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The girls were victims of a botched revenge attack by one gang on another when they were hit by submachine gun fire in a drive-by shooting outside a hair salon.

Convicted murderer Marcus Ellis was ordered to serve at least 35 years

Sir John Goldring, the original trial judge, who handed down his judgment over the chief prosecution witness, said: "I have concluded there has been no material change or circumstances since the end of the trial."

Last month Timothy Maloney QC, defending, said the prosecution failed to reveal all of the anonymous witnesses previous convictions or the number of times arrests were made over gangland activity.

In the 2005 proceedings, it was the first time in English law a main witness was granted total anonymity, even though he was a known criminal.

He was referred to throughout by the false name of "Mark Brown", with only the judge and prosecution knowing his real identity.

Rodrigo Simms has been unfairly tried due to the testimony of an anonymous witness, his lawyer said

In 2012, Ellis - Charlene's half-brother - along with Simms and a third man, Nathan Martin, lost an appeal against their convictions.

Ellis, Simms, Martin and a fourth man, Michael Gregory, were convicted of the teenagers' murder and each jailed for life.