A MAN was found dead in a Hampshire country lane following a carefully planned assassination, a court heard.

Gurinderjit Rai was found dead in a Ford Fiesta in Corhampton on July 13, 2019.

Dealer Aston Hannis, 29, of Eastleigh, is accused of his murder and is on trial at Winchester Crown Court.

Andrew Langdon QC, prosecuting told the jury that the fatal shot that killed the 41-year-old is believed to have been fired from a Mercedes A-class saloon car containing Hannis, of Leah Gardens, and co-defendant Charlie Statham, 30, of Crescent Close, Oliver's Battery, Winchester.

Addressing the jury members today, Wednesday, Mr Langdon described the killing as a carefully planned assassination.

However, he said the plan did not quite work citing the “pain staking” work of police officers who were able to find the vehicle identification number of the Mercedes.

Mr Langdon also mentioned how police were able to recover messages that had been deleted from the defendants’ mobile phones.

He ultimately compared the evidence in the case to pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Paul White, 27, of Dyson Drive, Abbotts Barton, Winchester, Phillip Hodan, 43, of Longwood Dean Lane, Owslebury and Corin Barlow, 41, from Horley, Surrey, are also accused of murder - Barlow is also charged with possession of a firearm with intent to enable Hannis to endanger life.

The trial, before the judge, Mrs Justice Cutts, is expected to last ten weeks continues.