Black Country crossbow murder trial: Neighbours woke to cars, carpets and chaos outside cannabis farm
Witnesses have described being woken to the sound of fighting before two people were shot and killed with a crossbow during a brawl at a cannabis farm in the Black Country.
Neighbours saw people being punched and attacked with weapons during the violence that unfolded in Brierley Hill on the night that Khuzaimah Douglas, 19, and Waseem Ramzan, 36, were fatally injured.
Saghawat Ramzan, 47, is accused of shooting his younger brother Waseem moments before he reloaded the crossbow to kill Mr Douglas as he tried to flee an attempted raid on a cannabis farm.
Saghawat Ramzan is on trial for murder alongside his 24-year-old son Omar Ramzan and Mohammed Sageer, 33,
All three men deny murdering 19-year-old Mr Douglas and 36-year-old Mr Ramzan, who they are alleged to have killed while defending a cannabis farm next to the Ramzans' home in Pensnett Road on February 20 lst year.
Witnesses have told the trial how they were woken at around 3.30am to the sound of fighting, cars revving and the sight of people fleeing with carpets and plants from the cannabis farm.
"A lot of them were just taking swings at each other but there was one on the floor and he looked like he was being punched," one witness told the court.
"Some people came out of, I believe number 94, and came running across the grass up towards Wilson Road.
"One of them looked like he was carrying a rolled-up carpet on his shoulder.
"A small car came down towards Kerry Close towards them.
"I heard someone shout 'run him over, run him over'.
"One of the men hit the car with what looked like a golf club. I heard a smash.
"Next a car came zooming down Wilson Road, I heard a smash after it had gone around the corner. I called the police.
"Another car came down Pensnett Road it pulled over to by where they were in the street and someone got out.
"Everybody kind of stopped what they were doing, they got in the car, picked up the man on the floor and it drove off."
Opening the case on Tuesday, prosecutor Adrian Keeling QC said father and son Saghawat and Omar Ramzan lived on Pensnett Road in a house next door to a property being used to grow cannabis worth up to £225,000 a year.
Sageer, of Gorsty Avenue, Brierley Hill, is alleged to have driven to Pensnett Road to join efforts to protect the drug-growing operation with an “ugly” armoury of weapons including a sword and two crossbows.
Saghawat allegedly accidentally shot his brother Waseem on the left side of his abdomen at point blank rage, causing an injury which proved fatal.
Meanwhile Mr Douglas was shot through his hip, having been held on the floor and beaten up. The bolt travelled 24 inches into his body, causing massive blood loss.
Inspector James Lewis was the first police officer at the scene after reports were received of males being armed with crossbows, a person being run over and a car crashing into a building.
He said: "At 3.38am I was the first to arrive at the location. There was no ongoing disorder but the Audi A3 had collided through a fence at the site of 2 Wilson Road and into a vehicle on the driveway.
"I saw a male in dark clothing lying on a pavement.
"I began speaking with him asking where he was injured. He said he was hurt everywhere and did not say what had happened.
"I could see an exposed wound on the right side of the abdomen, I believed to be a stab wound, it was clear he was significantly injured.
"I began pressure to the wound, I could feel a strong pulsing sensation.
"I left the male with ambulance and other police officers. The male I located was not unconscious and CPR was commenced.
"At 4.26am he was pronounced deceased."
More from the trial:
Healthcare assistant Audrey Dibble's statement was read out to the court, in which she described calling police after seeing youths "ranting and raving" and carrying what she thought was fir trees.
She said: "I could hear the sound of a car approaching, it sounded like it was travelling at high speed.
"It hit the house and there was a bang and it shook the house. I immediately rang 999.
"I heard people banging on my front door and front window."
The trial continues.
Crossbow bolt 'used to hunt animals'
The crossbow bolt fired during the brawl was one used to hunt animals and cause significant bleeding, the trial heard.
The bloodstained bolt was shown to jurors alongside two crossbows used in the fight at the cannabis farm.
Robert Griffiths, a forensic scientist, appeared as an expert witness where he explained how the crossbows - a larger one and a smaller pistol version - and the bolts worked.
Jurors heard one of the bolts fired from the larger crossbow had three blades - or barbs - at the tip, typically used for hunting.
Mr Griffiths took the 46cm bolt out of a clear plastic bag while wearing gloves and remarked that the tip was still bloodstained.
He said: "The three blades is to cause a bleeding injury in an animal which you are shooting at. They are really razor sharp.
"The idea is when the bolt enters the animal, if it doesn't have significant energy to kill the animal outright, the animal will bleed from the injury.
"If the animal doesn't fall immediately to the floor, it will leave a blood trail that the huntsman can follow.
"The idea of putting barbs on the front is to cause additional damage when it hits something."
A video was shown to jurors where Mr Griffiths demonstrated the strength of the larger crossbow by firing a replica version into a leg of pork, where the tip went straight through the chunk of meat.
The judge, Michael Chambers QC, enquired what sort of noise the crossbow would make when firing, and Mr Griffiths compared it to someone "thumping a table".
A series of photographs were also shown to jurors of Saghawat Ramzan and Omar Ramzan holding crossbows.
One image was said to be of Saghawat holding the small pistol crossbow in his right hand, and the larger crossbow in his left hand.
Asked by the prosecution whether Waseem's and Mr Douglas' injuries were caused by "penetration" from a "three-bladed arrow head", Mr Griffiths replied: "Yes."
Saghawat Ramzan, 46, and Omar Ramzan, 24, of Pensnett Road, Brierley Hill, and Sageer Mohammed, 33, of Gorsty Avenue, Brierley Hill, all deny two counts of murder.
The trial continues.
