Men deny gunning down doorman in gang ‘execution’

Jun 26 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

A FATHER-OF-THREE was shot in the head in a "gangland execution", a court has heard.

Former doorman Daniel Duffy, 46, was gunned down as he walked home from working at Liverpool golf driving range.

But Liverpool Crown Court heard detectives had so far been unable to uncover a motive for the killing.

Eusop Milne, 34, of Kingsway, Prescot, and Paul Simons, 25, no fixed address, are charged with his murder.

The duo – with five other men, four from Liverpool – are also charged with conspiracy to murder three young Asian men, brothers Ajmal and Amir Rashid and their cousin Ansar Mahmood in Coventry.

Milne is also charged with the attempted murder of the Rashid brothers’ father Mohammed, while his partner Kathryn Hanson, 36, is accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

All eight defendants deny all the charges and are facing a six-week trial.

Stephen Riordan QC, prosecuting, said as heavily-built Mr Duffy was on his way home to Damson Road Netherley, at 10.45pm on November 20, 2006, when nine loud bangs rang out. Witness Brian Quayle was woken by the noises and saw two people through the window.

Mr Riordan said: "One of the figures was lying on the floor on his back, the other was standing over him.

"He then realised that the figure who was standing was holding a gun in his right hand and was shooting the figure lying on the floor."

"He moved his left hand to the top of the gun and pulled it backwards and then there were two further bangs."

Mr Duffy’s children were called by neighbours as he lay dying on Sullington Drive, but he had suffered "catastrophic" head injuries, as well as having nine gunshot wounds, and Mr Duffy was dead by the time he reached Whiston hospital.

Analysis revealed one of the two guns used to kill him, a .38 revolver, had been used used weeks earlier, on October 11, 2006, to shoot Mohammed Rashid, who survived the attack.

Mr Riordan told the court Mr Rashid was shot three times after interrupting a gang of gunmen who were attempting to invade his home to kill his two sons Ajmal and Amir.

The two brothers, with their cousin Ansar Mahmood, were allegedly targeted after they tried to rip off two drug dealers.

Mr Rashid astonishingly survived, despite one bullet going through his liver and stomach.

Mr Riordan said: "There is no connection between these two sets of offences other than the weapon and the defendants Milne and Simons."

He added in relation to the killing of Mr Duffy: "Nor is there any evidence of motive for the crime, which bears all the hallmarks of what is sometimes called a gangland execution."

But he said Mr Duffy’s 12-year-old nephew had seen him receive brown envelopes full of money before his death.

Mr Riordan said: "It may be therefore that the deceased was involved in some form of criminal activity."

Brothers Lee Almond, 27, of Whitewood Park, Fazakerley, and Peter Almond, 23, of Heathfield Road, Litherland; Ian Dutton, 42, of Gale Road, Litherland; Bryan Rimmer, 27, no fixed address, and Razwan Mirza, 26, of Stainford Road, Sheffield, all deny three charges of conspiracy to murder.