Carl Campbell murder trial: Gun was fired 'to frighten not to kill'

Five shots were fired into a Ford Fiesta as it waited at traffic lights in West Bromwich two days after Christmas.

Carl Campbell, aged 33, from Wolverhampton, who was sat in the passenger seat, was shot in the face and killed almost instantly.

Mohammed Humza, 20, fired the Smith and Wesson revolver from an Audi Q5 which pulled up alongside the Fiesta outside The Strollers pub on Dartmouth Street, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

The court heard he accepted firing the gun but said he did so to ‘frighten’ Mr Campbell and that he did not know the gun was real or loaded. He denies murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and his trial began yesterday.

A friend of Mr Campbell, who was driving the Fiesta, took cover as bullets rained down on the car before looking over to see the victim slumped in the passenger seat with blood pouring from his face, said Mr Michael Burrows QC, prosecuting.

The landlady from The Strollers, who claimed to have witnessed the attack, raced outside to try and help, beginning CPR on the stricken victim.

Paramedics then arrived but Mr Campbell was pronounced dead soon after.

CCTV played to the court showed the Audi pull up at speed behind the Fiesta. Five puffs of smoke were then seen as the back windscreen of the Fiesta was shattered.

Incredibly, the shooting took place as the Fiesta was stopped behind another car at the lights, the driver of which made a hasty getaway as the realisation of what was happening set in.

The attack was over in seconds and the Audi then sped away through a red light.

Vikesh Chauhan, 24, who is alleged to have been driving the Audi, and Jaspal Rai, 25, also said to have been in the car at the time, deny the same charges as Humza.

Mr Burrows told the court the motive for Mr Campbell’s killing was not known. The Audi was later found abandoned in Kiniths Crescent.

Police officers who were on patrol spotted the three defendants, all from the West Bromwich area but officially of no fixed address, in Dagger Lane.

Humza attempted to flee, throwing items into bushes as he ran from the officers, Mr Burrows said.

They gave chase and caught Humza, taking him to the ground. Two spent bullet cartridges dropped from him as police sat him up and a third was found in his pocket, the court was told.

A Smith and Wesson revolver was later found in a garden in Dagger Lane, Mr Burrows said. Following the attack, CCTV also showed another man who was in the car with Mr Campbell get out and throw something away.

A package containing four grams of cocaine was later found, the court heard.

Father-of-one Mr Campbell, who was originally from Low Hill, Wolverhampton, but was living in Bilston at the time, was targeted at around 2.30pm on December 27 last year.

Mr Burrows told the jury: “This was a planned operation, in a stolen car bearing false number plates.

“They didn’t just happen to have a loaded revolver on them on that day. They had prepared to use it to shoot, to kill.

“I can be sure Mohammed Humza wouldn’t just produce a loaded gun in front of people who didn’t know what he was about to do, who weren’t in on the plan.”

The trial continues.