Man accused of murdering Worcestershire sub-postmaster's son in fireworks claim

Nov 27 2009 by Nick McCarthy, Birmingham Mail

A MAN accused of murdering a sub-postmaster’s son during an armed raid has told a jury that gunshot residue recovered from his jacket could have come from fireworks he lit at a New Year’s Eve party.

Anselm Ribera, 34, of Topfield House, Druids Heath, denies shooting dead Craig Hodson-Walker, 29, at the Fairfield post office, in Worcestershire, on January 9.

He also told the jury that he had been on a four-hour long jog, starting at 5am, on the morning of the murder because he was preparing for the Great North Run.

The prosecution allege that he fired three shots at Fairfield General Stores and post office and that the three other men, who also deny murder, “knew perfectly well” he had a gun which he was prepared to use.

During cross examination from prosecutor Timothy Raggatt QC, he admitted regularly smoking cannabis.

He added: “I wanted to get fit and I wanted to do one of those bigger runs later in the year, like the Great North Run.”

The jury at Birmingham Crown Court was shown CCTV images of Ribera leaving his flat at 5.21am dressed in a hooded top, tracksuit bottoms and white trainers.

The jury was also shown CCTV images of two men, one of whom is Ribera according to the prosecution, filling up a petrol can from the back of the car a few miles away from Ribera’s home.

He denies that he visited the BP petrol station with one of his co-defendants in a Ford Mondeo.

Mr Raggatt said: “Does that person look familiar to you? He is wearing entirely the same outfit.”

Ribera said: “I don’t know who that is. Lots of people wear tracksuit bottoms and trainers.”

Asked about microscopic gunshot residue particles that were recovered from a coat in his flat, Ribera said: “I have never handled a gun. I don’t know how it got there. I went to my cousin’s New Years Eve party and I was wearing that jacket. There were fireworks and I helped light them, so maybe it got on my hands and that is how it got into my pockets.”

Forensic experts claim that the particles were on the jacket and inside the pockets because Ribera had handled a discharged firearm.

Kulwant Kaur Chana, a forensic science expert for the defence, told the jury that Ribera’s coat could have been “contaminated” with particles from the armed police who arrested Ribera at his flat.

Under questioning from Ribera’s defence barrister, Jerome Lynch QC, she said: “I found the results to be inconclusive as to whether that jacket had been worn whilst a gun was discharged.”

Mr Ribera, Adrian Snape, 25, Christopher Morrissey, 32, and his brother Declan, 33, all deny murder.

They also deny the attempted murder of Mr Hodson-Walker’s father, Ken, who was shot in the leg at the post office.

Ribera and Snape, of Camelot Way, Small Heath, Christopher Morrissey, of Elmay Road, Sheldon, and Declan Morrissey, of Shirley Park Road, Shirley, further deny possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Ribera and the Morrissey brothers also deny attempted robbery.

Snape has pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, admitting that he was the getaway driver.

(Proceeding)