Clubber cleared of attempted murder

A club-goer has walked free from court after being cleared of trying to shoot dead two bouncers at a Black Country nightclub in an alleged row over a hat.

Defendant Ruben Campbell, aged 20, gave a thumbs up and repeatedly thanked jurors as they left court after clearing him of being the gunman who opened fire at the Envoy nightclub at Brierley Hill's waterfront.

Prosecutors had claimed that Campbell fired a revolver twice at the head of bouncer Daniel Johnson, missing him on both occasions.

Campbell was also alleged to have fired at bouncer Kenneth Bain, who tried to restrain him. The trial heard claims that a row was triggered as Campbell was repeatedly asked to remove his baseball cap at the club early on January 16 this year.

But he said he "ran for his life" when he heard the gunshots while he was waiting at the bar.

A witness denied in court that he had told Campbell to remove the cap.

He was cleared of two charges of attempted murder as well as firearms charges. Jurors were not told he was awaiting sentencing for punching a taxi driver in a row over a fare on November 5 last year. The taxi driver fell back into his cab with a fractured jaw and was unconscious for five minutes, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told yesterday.

Judge John Warner, who presided over the attempted murder trial, sentenced Campbell to 16 months for wounding the taxi driver. Campbell had admitted the charge.

Mr Gurdip Garrcha, defending, said Campbell should be able to walk free immediately as he had already spent around nine months on remand waiting for the case to be heard.

He had been at Brinsford but was transferred to the maximum security Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes because of allegations of gang links. Referring to the taxi driver case, Judge

Warner said: "The offence was particularly unpleasant. Taxi drivers are entitled to go about their business without people attacking them, still less causing them the sort of injury you caused here."

Judge Warner said: "My intention is that he should be released from court today."

Detective Inspector Nigel Smith, from Dudley CID, said: "We respect the findings of the court.

"We are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident at Envoy."

Envoy closed down after the shooting, when council bosses mounted a bid to revoke its licence. It is currently unoccupied.