Coventry man’s ‘panic messages’ read out in court after New Year shooting

A Coventry man charged with attempted murder after a New Year shooting sent “panic messages” to a friend, a court heard. Both Exauce Mazebo, of Irving Road, and Christ Lidiu, of Bridgelands Way, Handsworth, deny attempted murder, wounding with intent and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Birmingham Crown Court heard today that Lidiu allegedly chased and shot a man on Howard Street in Birmingham city center on New Year’s Day after he and Mazebo became involved in a disturbance and then took a gun from home , BirminghamLive reported.

Jurors were told the victim was hit by a bullet in the shoulder but was then hit by a taxi as he tried to flee. Investigators also found a photo of a self-loading pistol on Lidiu’s phone after he was arrested.

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The court also heard that Mazebo sent “panicked” messages to a friend because of fears that his mobile phone’s cellular website analysis would link him to the shooting. Prosecutor Phil Bradley told the jury that Mazebo sent “panicked” messages to a friend about being involved, including one that allegedly said: “The mobile site is the only thing that can go wrong for me.”

Mr Bradley opened the case and explained that the disorder broke out on Howard Street in the early hours of New Year’s Day this year. He said Lidiu was driving a Seat Leon he had bought a week earlier, while Mazebo was his passenger. “There can be no doubt that they were interested and invested in this issue,” Mr Bradley said.

“They showed interest shortly after arriving. Lidiu got directly involved in the fight, and Mazebo was right behind him. Their investment in the mess was demonstrated by their next move.

“They both returned to the Seat Leon and drove a short distance to Mr Lidiu’s home address in Bridgelands Way in Handsworth. Their sole purpose was to collect a firearm and return to the scene of the disturbance to continue the violence. Once the firearm was I gathered that both men switched off their phones, no doubt the conscious live phones give the police a means of tracking their movements in any further investigation.”

It was claimed that Lidiu swapped his sliders with trainers and sat in the back of the car while Mazebo took the lead. “Within minutes they were back at the mess and their car was driving slowly down Howard Street when they spotted a man,” Mr Bradley continued.

“Mr. Lidiu, who had now moved to the back of the car, got out and started following (the complainant). The CCTV shows (the complainant) running away at some pace. Mr. Lidiu chased him and as he (complainant) ran toward the Constitution Hill intersection at the bottom of Howard Street, Mr. Lidiu slowed down, crouched down and fired his firearm.

“There can be no doubt when he did this, his intention was to kill him. Otherwise, what could he have intended by firing a live-fire weapon in this way?”

He went on to explain: “What happened next shows how much he feared for his life. At the time of the shooting, he was running from the defendant at the mouth of that junction.

“About a second after he was shot, he ran into the path of an oncoming taxi. The collision was captured by the dash cam inside the taxi and CCTV.

“It was propelled over the hood and onto the floor. Mr Lidiu had turned around by now and started running back towards the Seat where Mr Mazebo was waiting for him in the getaway car”.

The prosecutor said the victim, who dropped a machete in the collision with the taxi, got up, ran away but collapsed in a nearby garage before being taken to hospital. He claimed Lidiu and Mazebo drove through Aston to Gravelly Hill where they parked the car in Anita Croft.

Lidiu was arrested on January 17 and did not return any comments to police before issuing a statement saying he had nothing to do with the shooting. The prosecutor said there was a photo of a gun on his phone, but added that it was not possible to say if it was the one used in the shooting.

Mr Bradley also said Mazebo was concerned after seeing a video of Lidiu’s arrest, which showed a police officer holding photographs that captured the clothes he was wearing. Mazebo was arrested at Winsor Place in Stockland Green on January 18 and his phone was found in a freezer in the living room. He was also said to have denied news of the shooting in a legal statement.

Mr Bradley said: “The prosecution case is that from start to finish both defendants acted as a team. This crime was a joint enterprise. It does not matter that the first defendant discharged the firearm himself. They were in it together.”

The process continues.

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