Paul Massey and John Kinsella killings: Man denies being gangland executioner's 'spotter'

Paul Massey (left) and John Kinsella were both fatally shot

A man denied being a "spotter" for the gangland executioner of a mob fixer and an underworld "Mr Big", a court heard.

Steven Boyle, 35, told police he had nothing to do with the murders three years apart of "notorious" criminals Paul Massey and John Kinsella.

Mr Boyle is accused of helping to track the victims to enable his co-accused, Mark Fellows, 38, to shoot them dead during a "war" on a city's streets, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Both men have denied murder.

Massey, 55, from Salford, and Kinsella, 53, from Liverpool were murdered during a deadly feud between rival gangs in Salford.

'Revenge'

Massey was sprayed with bullets from a machine gun in July 2015 outside his home in Salford.

Kinsella was shot down then blasted in the head twice from close range as he walked his dogs in St Helens, Merseyside, in May this year.

In Mr Boyle's interview with police after his arrest in June, Det Con Johnathan Frankell, from Greater Manchester Police, asked the defendant: "You are aware there's a war going on in Salford.

"We are trying to establish why Paul Massey was killed. People are saying this is about revenge?"

Mr Boyle told the officer: "I tried to keep myself out of all these gangs as much as I possibly can. I live in the middle of the estate. I'm not part of none of these gangs."

He was shown CCTV showing his white Vauxhall Insignia car passing a pub 17 seconds behind Massey's silver BMW as he drove home, just seven minutes before Massey was shot with an Uzi machine gun.

Mr Boyle said: "Let's not put it like I'm tailing him."

Asked in the interview if he was following Paul Massey and "acting as a look out", Mr Boyle replied: "No I was not. I'm telling you 100 million per cent I have nothing to do with this murder."

Mr Fellows, of Warrington, and Mr Boyle, from Heywood, Greater Manchester, both deny the murders and the attempted murder of Kinsella's partner Wendy Owen.

The trial continues.