Kevin Carroll murder: 'Gerbil' trial told of car used in shooting

Kevin Carroll was killed in an Asda car park in Robroyston

The Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll murder trial has heard how the car believed to have been used in his shooting was seen near where the murder weapon was found.

CCTV footage showing a black Volkswagen Golf in Coatbridge and at the Asda carpark in Robroyston where Mr Carroll was killed was shown to the jury.

Det Con Neil Grieve said these were assessed by him "as the same vehicle".

William Paterson, 35, denies fatally shooting 29-year-old gangland figure Mr Carroll in Glasgow on 13 January 2010.

Various clips of CCTV from the day of the shooting were played at High Court in Glasgow showing the Asda carpark and streets in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire.

Gun link

Det Con Grieve was taken through a report he put together after reviewing all of the CCTV gathered by police in the original investigation.

He said that after looking at all the footage the car he pointed out as a Volkswagen Golf is assessed by him "as the same vehicle" in all pieces of footage - including on a street near to where the guns used to kill Mr Carroll were found.

The court was shown an excerpt of footage of Asda in Robroyston on the day of the murder with a number of cars driving in and out of the car park.

Advocate depute Iain McSporran, prosecuting, put to the witness: "This you took to be the black Audi car in which Mr Carroll and two others arrived at Asda." He replied: "Yes, correct."

The court heard that a short time later Mr Carroll and two others, Stephen McLaggan and John Bonner, were seen walking to the front of Asda and then back to the carpark space they parked in.

Det Con Grieve said a Volkswagen Golf arrived at the carpark and from looking at the time it arrived, it was "consistent" with it having come from Northgate Road - where earlier footage showed the same type of car.

A clip of what has been identified by police as being the Volkswagen Golf on the CCTV was played and the officer was asked to comment.

He said the car travelled "quite quickly" past the front door and "came to a halt near to where the Audi was parked".

Det Con Grieve added: "You can see legs and feet coming out the vehicle and the brake light remained on, it would appear."

Asked what the significance of that is, he said: "It would suggest there is another person within the vehicle."

Further footage was shown of the same car and the officer said: "It moves off then appears to stop again in the corridor, in the corridor of the car park."

He told the court the car then "negotiates the roundabout on the wrong side of the road".

Cars 'in convoy'

CCTV footage from Sunnyside Road in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, was shown to the court and the officer pointed out a car he believed to be the same Volkswagen Golf.

He said the journey time was "consistent" with it being the same car at Asda.

Det Con Grieve said on the footage the car turned onto Baird Street in the area and that it is around 50m from Academy Street carpark where the guns used to kill Mr Carroll were discovered.

The court heard that a black BMW car was noted from the CCTV by the police viewing the footage.

The police witness said that same BMW and Volkswagen then "appear to be travelling in convoy" and drive out of Baird Street and are seen on camera travelling in the direction of where a burnt out car was found.

Mr McSporran asked Det Con Grieve if, in his assessment, the car that was seen at footage on Northgate Road, Asda, and other footage is the same or different car.

The witness replied it was "assessed by him" as the same car.

He confirmed that it was consistent with it being in the Glenmavis area at the time of the discovery of the burning car.

Under cross examination by defence lawyer Des Finnieston, Det Con Grieve said he came to the conclusion about the car being the same Volkswagen Golf based on information given to him.

Mr Finnieston asked: "Is there not an element of judgement or pre judgement?" DC Grieve replied: "No I have made an assessment on information available to me."

He told the court he did not read the findings made by Strathclyde Police so that he would not be tainted or have any pre-judgements.

The court was told Strathclyde Police officers who carried out the initial investigation noted a Volkswagen Golf driving along Dunbeth Road in the Coatbridge area.

Different car

Det Con Grieve said he did see that on the footage collected but he believed it was a different car and said it was a lighter colour.

The jury saw footage from the camera showing Dunbeth Road and a number of cars driving along it.

Mr McSporran pointed out a car for the witness to comment on. He told the court: "It's a Volkwagen Golf but it's a lighter colour."

Det Con Grieve confirmed he believed the car he saw going into and coming out of Baird Street that he pointed out earlier was the car from Asda.

Mr Paterson denies the charges and has incriminated six other people.

He has lodged a special defence of alibi claiming he was at an address in Cumbernauld at the time of the shooting.

The trial before judge Lord Armstrong continues.