Liverpool.

Taxi driver allegedly among two assassins who gunned down Liverpool dad Jason Osu, court hears

A taxi driver was allegedly among two assassins who gunned down a Liverpool dad-of-two in a hail of bullets.

Delta driver Paul Croxton was allegedly one of the hooded figures who emerged from the shadows to execute trained pilot Jason Osu as he parked in the driveway of his Wavertree house.

The 31-year-old was shot seven times – including in the head, neck, chest, back and left arm - and succumbed to his  injuries in hospital a week later.

A trial began at Liverpool Crown Court today of three men charged with Mr Osu’s murder in November 2012.

Paul Croxton, 21, Thomas White, 29, and George McGovern, 54, deny the charge.

Their addresses cannot be published.

Reread: Jason Osu murder trial from Liverpool Crown Court

Dramatic CCTV footage of the killers on their mission to murder was played in court after Brian Cummins, QC, prosecuting, warned: “It’s not going to be a pleasant experience.”

The footage showed Mr Osu – who also went by the name Lawrence Chambers – parking his Mercedes in the driveway of his house on the corner of Beauclair Drive and Woolton Road as two men ambushed the car and sprayed it with bullets.

Mr Cummins told how a car had lay in wait outside Mr Osu’s home for 40 minutes.

When the men saw Mr Osu turn into the driveway at around 5.30pm on November 19, they pounced, armed with a revolver and a self-loading pistol.

Mr Cummins said: “Two figures – which we say are Paul Croxton and Thomas White – ran through the still open roller shutters, one to each side of the Mercedes."

Both men were armed with handguns and both proceeded to fire a number of rounds into the car, at very close quarters before running back out again."

Passers-by saw the men run to a vehicle, which was parked further along Beauclair Drive which was then driven away."

Jurors heard how the gunmen were back in their getaway car within just 20 seconds.

Minutes later a stolen Citroen C4 was found abandoned and set on fire in Waldgrave Road, a mile away. 

A suspected second getaway car, a stolen Audi A4, was later found burnt out in Whiston.

Jurors were told that Paul Croxton had taken an “unhealthy interest” in Mr Osu’s home address in the three months leading up to his death.

Mr Cummins told how GPS equipment seized from his black Mondeo taxi had enabled police to track the movement of his car.

He said: “Paul Croxton’s taxi would on occasions go out of its way to pass by that address – not just on Woolton Road itself but on Beauclair Drive. 

“There were occasions when the taxi did laps of the block and occasions when it was parked up on Beauclair Drive for significant lengths of time – for over an hour, for example, on two nights running less than a month before the shooting.”

Jurors heard that the GPS data also detailed trips to Waldgrave Road, where the Citroen was set on fire, and to Warnerville Road, where the stolen Audi was parked up, two days before the killing.

Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution allege that this was Paul Croxton and Thomas White carrying out a dry run of the getaway route that they would be taking.”

Jurors were told that the GPS data revealed how Croxton had visited White’s home address in the lead up to the shooting and to lock-up garages where it is alleged the stolen getaway vehicles were stored.

On the morning of the murder, it is claimed Croxton drove from St Helens in his taxi with the stolen silver Audi behind him in convoy to Warnerville Road, where it was parked up for its intended use as a getaway vehicle.

Mr Cummins alleged that  White parked the Audi and then got in the taxi with Croxton.

McGovern, who was said to have met Croxton on a number of occasions, was arrested at a lock up garage in Huyton one week before Mr Osu was shot.

He was found with a key to a stolen Vauxhall Zafira which contained four bottles of petrol, a mop head and a lighter. 

The prosecution believe that was the planned getaway vehicle from the murder scene and was replaced instead by the Citroen C4.

Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution allege that by November 12 the decision had been taken to kill Jason Osu, and that what Croxton and McGovern were doing on this date was making final preparations for the shooting.

"George McGovern was obviously compromised by his arrest on November 12. The heat was on, he had been detained by police in possession of a key to a stolen Zafira with bottles of petrol in the boot.”

After being released on bail following his arrest, Mr Cummins said McGovern remained “in the shadows” of the murder plot.

He told jurors: “The prosecution say he is a party to the murder of Jason Osu. 

“We allege he was involved with others – certainly including Paul Croxton – in planning the murder of Jason Osu, who was ultimately murdered according to that plan, albeit a week later than originally intended."

Upon his arrest Croxton put forward a prepared statement in which he denied any involvement.

He made no comment to any questions.

White also made no comment as did McGovern, who put forward a statement denying involvement in the murder.

Jurors heard how after being remanded into prison, Croxton made a telephone call to his girlfriend, Natalie Hughes.

Mr Cummins said that in the call Mr Croxton told how he had spoken to “the other two” and that he feared that he would be blamed as “the main man”.

He said he was “going to have to put a guilty plea in” and tell the police what happened to “get me down to a lesser role”. 

Mr Cummins said: “The prosecution say this was an admission of guilt.” 

The trial is expected to last eight weeks.

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