Brothers on trial over gangland drive-by shooting of father of eight
Two brothers are on trial for murder after the gangland drive-by killing of a father of eight four years ago.
Connor Goodwin, 27, and brother Michael, 26, from Wallace Road in Oldbury, deny murdering Anthony Sergeant in Birmingham in 2018.
They are on trial along with Leon Riley, 21, of Bridgelands Way, Perry Barr, and Keenan Anderson, 25, of Albert Road, Handsworth.
Another alleged killer, Dante Mullings, was shot dead the following year.
Mr Sergeant was a 33-year-old known as 'The King of Lee Bank' and was both a rapper and player manager of a community football team. He was shot in the back outside his mother's home as he chatted to friends and died in hospital six weeks later.
At Birmingham Crown Court, Annabel Darlow QC opened the case against the defendants with the help of CCTV footage and mobile phone mast evidence.
The Goodwin brothers are said to have stolen the keys to a BMW and Mercedes during a burglary and then fitted false number plates which corresponded with the correct makes and models.
The five men then allegedly drove in convoy to Lee Bank to shoot Mr Sergeant.
Attempting to avoid CCTV cameras on main roads, the two cars are then said to have driven into Rickman Drive, where Sergeant was talking to friends.
Footage shows a flash can be seen from the passenger side of one of the cars, Mrs Darlow said. The victim was hit in the back and a bullet went through the window of his mother's home.
One of those chatting to him ran away in so much fear that he left his shoe at the scene, she added.
Mrs Darlow said: "These four defendants were in the convoy and each of them was part of a joint plan to shoot Mr Sergeant. A fifth man, Dante Mullings, was also alleged to be in that convoy.
"He is not before the court because he was himself shot and killed in an incident that took place in May 2019."
She added: "The jury will see CCTV footage. We can see by cell phone tower analysis Connor Goodwin's phone was trying to connect to the towers. A call was ignored as they approached Rickman Drive."
The trial is expected to last six weeks and the public gallery was full of family members of both the victim and defendants.
