Wellingborough shooting trial – drug dealer started ‘all out war’ when he smashed rival’s windscreen
A court has seen footage of moment a drug ‘war’ was sparked in Wellingborough after a Northampton dealer smashed up the car of his adversary.
Two alleged drug dealers started an ‘all out war’ while ‘some people were eating their cornflakes,’ a jury has heard.
The attempted murder trial at Northampton Crown Court heard that a shooting in Croyland Park was sparked by ‘bubbling’ tensions after drug dealer Kieran McGrath’s car was smashed up by rival Raheem Bourne.
Previously, the court had heard how accused McGrath jumped out of a car driven by Jake Anderson and shot five times at a vehicle in Croyland Park, Wellingborough. But the intended target – Mr Bourne – was not in the vehicle, which actually contained three completely innocent bystanders.
Adrian Langdale KC, prosecuting, said, as he opened the case before Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane: “Two sides, rival drug dealers, in adjacent areas of Northamptonshire.”
He said that the issue had been ‘bubbling away’ and that Mr Bourne wanted to ‘close down’ Kieran McGrath’s drug operation.
‘This is what caused all of this’
The jury saw a video taken on June 27 last year, said to have been filmed by McGrath from his upstairs window of his mother’s house in Duke Street.
The footage showed a man thought to be Mr Bourne – who uses the street name of Wocka – smashing a brick down on the windscreen of McGrath’s parked car in the dark.
A shouted conversation could be heard on the video between McGrath and Mr Bourne.
Mr Langdale told the court that McGrath had shouted: “What’s your name?”
"Wocka,” replied Mr Bourne.
"Yeah, Wocka, yeah?” asked McGrath.
"Gang member you p***sy,” replied Wocka.
The man was then seen running off into the night.
"This is what caused all of this,” said Mr Langdale.
"That one incident there. That was Mr McGrath’s car being smashed up with a brick.
That same video was later found by police on a grey iphone when McGrath’s house was searched, and it was discovered it had been sent to his friend Asriel McLeod just moments after it was taken.
‘Million percent’
The following morning, there were hours of text arguments between Mr Bourne and McGrath.
Mr Langdale said: “While some people are eating their cornflakes, these two are starting an all out war.”
At 9.36am on June 28, the morning after McGrath’s car was damaged, the prosecution says that Bourne sent a message to McGrath saying: “Yoyo come link man 2day either Northampton or your endz don’t mind.
"But we linking 2day am bout cuz.”
McGrath replied: “Million percent.”
“Kool,” replied Bourne, adding, “Snm, come link man at racecourse Northampton. And what time u active?”
McGrath said: “Come 2 me tonight in Wellingborough.”
And Mr Bourne said: “Nah nah, come link man during the day or am coming to your yard right now.”
Then at 9.43am, Bourne sent another message saying: “Don’t talk. Leave your dead. Ha ha my n**ga. Let’s do this. U gna kno bout me boi. Price just went up on u fool,” and another message saying: “I don’t like war I love it.”
Further messages indicated that Mr Bourne was on his way to Wellingborough from his Northampton base, and he said: “Imma shut down your whole operation on God.”
Mr Langdale said: “It’s still only 10.20 in the morning. It’s already got pretty heated.”
‘It’s pretty clear they’re going to war’
McGrath then sent a message to Bourne saying ‘I’m going to kill you,’ which Mr Langdale said was the ‘clearest indication’ of what McGrath and his friends were going to do.
He said that that people in the drugs world ‘live or die for respect’.
"The price Kieran McGrath was willing to pay to keep on top of the drugs trade was to kill his rival,” added Mr Langdale.
Threats ‘continued to flow’ between the two throughout the day, said Mr Langdale.
And in the afternoon, Anderson drove his friend McGrath, 30, in his white mini Cooper to pick up a gun in Maidenhead.
Mr Langdale said that it must have been clear to Mr Anderson what was going to happen.
"It’s pretty clear they’re going to war,” he said.
At 4.16pm that afternoon, Anderson, 32, made it clear what he expected in payment from McGrath, sending him a message asking for a ‘teenth and a oner’ to cover his role as driver.
The court heard this meant one gram of cocaine and £100 in cash.
"Yeah yeah yeah, I’ve got you bro,” replied McGrath.
The pair returned to Wellingborough in the evening, and it was later that night that the shooting took place in Croyland Park.
Kieran John McGrath, of Duke Street, Wellingborough, and Jake Benjamin Anderson, of Stamford Road, Kettering, deny the attempted murder of Raheem Bourne and the alternative count of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. McGrath has pleaded guilty to charge of possession of a firearm with intent to cause a person to believe unlawful violence would be used against them. Anderson denies that charge and denies being a drug dealer.
Neither Asriel McLeod or Anaiah Dupont-Spencer are standing trial in relation to this case.
The trial continues.
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