Kesgrave schoolboy shooting trial: Accused 'had a lot of anger'

The shooting took place as the victim left his home on the first day of the new school year

A teenage girl who witnessed a schoolboy being shot in the face said the person behind the gun "had a lot of anger", a court heard.

The victim, aged 15 at the time, was wounded as he left for school in Kesgrave, Suffolk, on 7 September.

The witness, then aged 13, said she thought the accused "was just showing him his gun" before she heard a gunshot.

The 16-year-old denies attempted murder and four other charges.

Ipswich Crown Court heard the victim and the accused were friends at the time of the incident.

A mutual friend of both boys told police the defendant would often speak of how the victim would "bully him" and "slap" him over the head at school, but they remained mates.

The court was told the defendant held the gun less than a metre from the victim "before he blasted him in the neck and face"

In a police interview which was played to the jury, the teenage witness said she saw the victim "speaking to man who was behind a silver car" as she walked to school.

"[The boy] appeared to know him, saying 'you can drive now?' as a question," she said.

"The guy behind the car pulled out a gun."

The schoolgirl said the victim started "walking really slow, gentle steps" and asked "what are you doing with that?".

She said the weapon was pointed at the victim, but she "thought he was just showing him his gun".

As she walked past she heard a "really loud" gunshot.

"I turned round and saw [the boy] on the floor," she said.

"I saw he had some sort of wound on his face or neck.

"I looked at the guy behind the car.

"He just screamed at me to run. I turned and I ran."

The victim was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where he was left with "devastating and life-changing injuries" after suffering a stroke and has been "partially paralysed", the jury heard.

Asked by a police officer what the person stood by the car was like, the girl said: "When he had the gun he was stiff and his jaw was very clenched in a way like he had a lot of anger.

"He had a lot of emotion of some kind."

The trial continues.