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| Mark Duggan: gun found 'five metres' from where he was shot | Mark Duggan: gun found 'five metres' from where he was shot |
| (7 days later) | |
| A firearms officer has told a court of how he found the gun that allegedly belonged to Mark Duggan discarded in bushes about "five metres away" from where the 29-year-old was shot dead. | A firearms officer has told a court of how he found the gun that allegedly belonged to Mark Duggan discarded in bushes about "five metres away" from where the 29-year-old was shot dead. |
| The officer, known as R31, told the trial of Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, who is accused of providing Duggan with a handgun minutes before he was killed on 4 August last year, that he jumped out of his unmarked police car to try to stop him escaping. | The officer, known as R31, told the trial of Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, who is accused of providing Duggan with a handgun minutes before he was killed on 4 August last year, that he jumped out of his unmarked police car to try to stop him escaping. |
| This was only "about a second" before one of his colleagues on the firearms team shot Duggan whose death triggered widespread riots last year, he said. | This was only "about a second" before one of his colleagues on the firearms team shot Duggan whose death triggered widespread riots last year, he said. |
| He later found the gun in bushes on the other side of some railings "perhaps the length of a car" away from where Duggan lay, the officer told jurors at Snaresbrook crown court in east London. | He later found the gun in bushes on the other side of some railings "perhaps the length of a car" away from where Duggan lay, the officer told jurors at Snaresbrook crown court in east London. |
| Duggan appeared to be trying to run away from police after the minicab in which he was a passenger was stopped in Ferry Lane, Tottenham, north London, the officer said. | Duggan appeared to be trying to run away from police after the minicab in which he was a passenger was stopped in Ferry Lane, Tottenham, north London, the officer said. |
| "I was still firmly convinced that he was trying to escape because of the direction that he was moving. In my experience of people who react before, they either act like rabbits and freeze in the headlights, or they try and escape, and I assumed it was the [latter]," he said. | "I was still firmly convinced that he was trying to escape because of the direction that he was moving. In my experience of people who react before, they either act like rabbits and freeze in the headlights, or they try and escape, and I assumed it was the [latter]," he said. |
| He was then aware of gunshots being fired from behind him and saw Duggan fall to the ground, he said. | He was then aware of gunshots being fired from behind him and saw Duggan fall to the ground, he said. |
| "He started bending forward at the waist and at the same time his legs collapsed," he said. | "He started bending forward at the waist and at the same time his legs collapsed," he said. |
| "Once the firearm was discharged, my lord, I was quite stunned because I was actually only a few feet away from the barrel of the gun when it was discharged and obviously it was extremely loud if you're quite close to it, and it was quite painful." | "Once the firearm was discharged, my lord, I was quite stunned because I was actually only a few feet away from the barrel of the gun when it was discharged and obviously it was extremely loud if you're quite close to it, and it was quite painful." |
| After overcoming this, he immediately went to the aid of one of his colleagues who believed he had also been shot. He then moved one of the police cars to create a barrier between the incident and a group of bystanders who he thought were filming the scene on their mobile phones, the court heard. | After overcoming this, he immediately went to the aid of one of his colleagues who believed he had also been shot. He then moved one of the police cars to create a barrier between the incident and a group of bystanders who he thought were filming the scene on their mobile phones, the court heard. |
| Giving evidence in the witness box from behind a screen, R31, who has been a firearms officer since 1998, said he then searched the area for the gun that Duggan was believed to have been holding. | Giving evidence in the witness box from behind a screen, R31, who has been a firearms officer since 1998, said he then searched the area for the gun that Duggan was believed to have been holding. |
| "I made an assumption that given the level of activity in the area between the two lampposts, that if the gun was there it would be found, and I looked for the next most obvious place which seemed to be the grass area between the two lampposts behind the metal railings," he said. | "I made an assumption that given the level of activity in the area between the two lampposts, that if the gun was there it would be found, and I looked for the next most obvious place which seemed to be the grass area between the two lampposts behind the metal railings," he said. |
| After climbing over the railings, he searched in some bushes "probably two to three feet high" that were between the lampposts and a wall, and then saw a black object, he said. | After climbing over the railings, he searched in some bushes "probably two to three feet high" that were between the lampposts and a wall, and then saw a black object, he said. |
| "As I got closer it became quite obvious that it was something in the shape of a self-loading pistol that was in a sock," the officer went on. | "As I got closer it became quite obvious that it was something in the shape of a self-loading pistol that was in a sock," the officer went on. |
| A uniformed armed response vehicle officer, who had arrived at the scene, then joined him, and he asked him to watch the gun for him while he got an exhibit bag to stop the weapon being contaminated, R31 told the court. | A uniformed armed response vehicle officer, who had arrived at the scene, then joined him, and he asked him to watch the gun for him while he got an exhibit bag to stop the weapon being contaminated, R31 told the court. |
| But he then struggled to find a heavy object to weigh the bag down. | But he then struggled to find a heavy object to weigh the bag down. |
| Asked by the prosecutor Edward Brown QC whether he eventually found something suitable, the office said: "I found something but whether it was sensible, I'm not sure. I found a cannabis plant that was in a plant pot in the bushes." | Asked by the prosecutor Edward Brown QC whether he eventually found something suitable, the office said: "I found something but whether it was sensible, I'm not sure. I found a cannabis plant that was in a plant pot in the bushes." |
| Hutchinson-Foster is on trial accused of passing the gun to Duggan earlier that day. | Hutchinson-Foster is on trial accused of passing the gun to Duggan earlier that day. |
| The 30-year-old, of no fixed abode, is charged with "selling or transferring a prohibited firearm" to Duggan between 28 July and 5 August last year. | The 30-year-old, of no fixed abode, is charged with "selling or transferring a prohibited firearm" to Duggan between 28 July and 5 August last year. |
| He denies passing the modified BBM Bruni Model 92 handgun to Duggan, contrary to the Firearms Act 1968. | He denies passing the modified BBM Bruni Model 92 handgun to Duggan, contrary to the Firearms Act 1968. |
| The officer said he was unable to say how much time passed between when Duggan was shot and when he found the gun. | The officer said he was unable to say how much time passed between when Duggan was shot and when he found the gun. |
| During cross-examination by Stuart Denney QC, defending Hutchinson-Foster, he agreed it was "some minutes". | During cross-examination by Stuart Denney QC, defending Hutchinson-Foster, he agreed it was "some minutes". |
| He could not see whether Duggan was holding anything in his hands because he had his back slightly to him and was wearing a bulky coat, the officer said. | He could not see whether Duggan was holding anything in his hands because he had his back slightly to him and was wearing a bulky coat, the officer said. |
| He did not see who fired the shots as they came from behind him and he did not see anyone else enter the area where the gun was found before he spotted it, he said. | He did not see who fired the shots as they came from behind him and he did not see anyone else enter the area where the gun was found before he spotted it, he said. |
| The taxi driver who drove the minicab in which Duggan was a passenger also began giving evidence. | The taxi driver who drove the minicab in which Duggan was a passenger also began giving evidence. |
| The driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spoke Punjabi which an interpreter translated into English. | The driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spoke Punjabi which an interpreter translated into English. |
| The east London-based taxi firm he worked for was called at 5.12pm on 4 August to pick up a passenger in Micawber Court, Windsor Terrace, Hoxton, and take them to Leyton, the court heard. | The east London-based taxi firm he worked for was called at 5.12pm on 4 August to pick up a passenger in Micawber Court, Windsor Terrace, Hoxton, and take them to Leyton, the court heard. |
| The driver was given the fare and went to collect the passenger from the address, the court heard. | The driver was given the fare and went to collect the passenger from the address, the court heard. |
| He pulled up outside, called the number he was given and told the woman who answered that he would wait by a bike stand. | He pulled up outside, called the number he was given and told the woman who answered that he would wait by a bike stand. |
| A "young lad" who he said he now knows was Duggan then came out, got into the taxi and sat on the middle seat facing the front, the court heard. | A "young lad" who he said he now knows was Duggan then came out, got into the taxi and sat on the middle seat facing the front, the court heard. |
| The driver said the man was aged between 25 and 30, and was 6ft tall. | The driver said the man was aged between 25 and 30, and was 6ft tall. |
| He had a phone in one hand but did not appear to be carrying anything else, he said. | He had a phone in one hand but did not appear to be carrying anything else, he said. |
| The prosecution claims that Duggan travelled to Leyton to collect the gun in a shoebox from Hutchinson-Foster, then continued to Tottenham where he was stopped by police. | The prosecution claims that Duggan travelled to Leyton to collect the gun in a shoebox from Hutchinson-Foster, then continued to Tottenham where he was stopped by police. |
| The court previously heard that Duggan was under surveillance on 4 August, as well as on the previous day. | The court previously heard that Duggan was under surveillance on 4 August, as well as on the previous day. |
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