Garage owner feared for his life in attack

A garage owner from Staffordshire who was attacked by a gang of armed robbers told police he thought he was going to die and started "saying his prayers", a court heard.

Raiders battered, stabbed and shot Amjad Khan as they tried to steal a £30,000 Porsche and cash from the safe, jurors at Stafford Crown Court heard.

In a videotaped interview, 32-year-old Mr Khan, boss of Ikon Bodyz motor specialists in Stafford, relived his 30 minutes of pain and terror.

He told officers he was approached at his Astonfields workshop by two men, one armed with a sawn-off shotgun, the other with a bat and a knife.

At first he thought it was a joke but then he was struck on the head. One of them held a gun to one of his workers.

"I thought I'm going to die now and I started saying my prayers," he said.

In a struggle Mr Khan suffered a stab wound.

He said: "I managed to get to the back of the unit, I don't know how, I just opened the back door and as I'm running off, someone shot me. I couldn't feel any pain, I just ran and ran."

Mr Khan ran to a taxi station and was taken to hospital. The prosecution alleges five men, all from Birmingham, were in the gang who plotted the raid, which happened in October 2009.

Daniel Martin, aged 21, of Sherbourne Street, Birmingham, Jake Broadhurst, aged 20, of Stratford Street, Hockley Heath, Alexander Ponsonby, aged 21, of Steelbrook Road, Solihull, Andrew McMullan, aged 24 and his brother Sam McMullan, both of Oldway Drive, Solihull all deny a charge of conspiracy to rob.

Broadhurst, McMullan, Ponsonby and Martin all deny charges of possessing a firearm with intent, causing Mr Khan grievous bodily harm with intent and attempted kidnap.

The trial continues.