A MAN accused of being involved in the murder of a drugs supplier said that he was not with his co-defendants around the time of the alleged killing, a court heard.
Paul White, 27, is one of four men accused of murdering Gurinderjit Rai, 41, in Shepherds Farm Lane, Corhampton, on July 12, 2019.
All four deny the charge and a fifth man has denied being involved in participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.
An ongoing murder trial at Winchester Crown Court has heard how the prosecution say that Mr Rai was killed in a carefully planned assassination.
Today (Thursday), jurors heard White contradict the case of defendants Aston Hannis and Charlie Statham, who say that the three of them travelled together from Hannis’ house in Leah Gardens, Eastleigh, to fellow accused Philip Hodan’s house to watch Amir Khan’s comeback fight.
Giving evidence in his own defence, White said that the initial plan was for Hannis and Statham to drive to Winchester and then the three make their way to Hodan’s house, but “he [Hannis] said that he needed to go back to his house first to meet someone”.
He told the court: “Charlie was drinking, having a few lines, and me and Charlie were chatting, Aston was in and out, in and out on the phone.”
White said that he did not know what Hannis was saying on the phone. The defendant said that as time passed he became bored.
“At this stage Charlie was quite a mess. I just wanted to go off and watch the boxing,” White said. “I said what’s going on is this guy coming, I just want to go and watch the boxing.
“He said I have got to wait for this person, he said just go on over to Phil’s if you want.”
The court heard that White took Hannis’ Audi Q7 and drove to Hodan’s home in Longwood Dean Lane, Owslebury.
“I drove to Phil’s when I was nearly at Phil’s I got my phone out to ring Phil to say I am nearly outside. I noticed a missed call on my phone from Aston’s Nokia. I rang him back and he said ‘can you have a look if my iPhone is there’.
“When I was looking around for the phone, found it in the centre console and said ‘yeah your phone is here’ and put it down on the seat between my lap.
“When I got out the car as I got out the phone fell on the floor, so I picked the phone up and put it in my pocket.”
Shortly after midnight White and Hannis had a telephone conversation and White asked his co-defendant when he would arrive at Hodan’s and he said they arrived shortly after.
Giving evidence earlier in the trial Hannis claimed that two Liverpudlian men visited his home and took his Encro phone, Mercedes he bought for his drug runner and cash owed to Mr Rai. Hannis said that he told the men to ring White’s phone when he could get his belongings back, but the men later called and said they had killed Mr Rai.
Phone records show that a phone call was made between White and Hannis after he supposedly arrived, and Hannis’ solicitor Rosano Scamardella QC said the call contradicts the case of Hannis' case.
The court was told that on July 11, the day before the murder, White, Hannis and Statham went for a drive “to smoke”, the prosecution claim that they trio went Longwood Dean Lane, between Upham and Owslebury, to find a spot to later dump and set light to the Mercedes that was allegedly used in the murder.
Prosecutor Andrew Langdon QC said: “You were there because you had to know exactly where to drive to that following night. Everyone knew that it would be you were driving to Mr Hodan’s that next night.” White denied this.
The prosecution claim that White was the driver, who picked up Hannis and Statham from where the car had been set alight back to Hodan’s after the murder.
White was arrested on July 14, but the court was told that he had got rid of his phone down a drain before his arrest because there was information on his phone about drug dealing. He said: “I wouldn’t call myself a drug dealer no. I was worried about how it would look.”
Hannis, 29, of Leah Gardens, Eastleigh; Statham, 30, of Crescent Close, Oliver's Battery; Barlow, from Horley, Surrey; White, 27, of Dyson Drive, Abbotts Barton, all deny murder.
Hodan, 43, of Longwood Dean Lane, Owslebury, denies participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.
The trial continues.
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