Murder trials hear gunshot which killed teenager in taxi after chase

The murder trial of four men who are accused of executing Mr Martin as he fled Tipton in a taxi to Aston entered the CCTV stage of proceedings.

Kisharne Campbell, aged 23, and Usman Amjad, 22, both of no fixed address, along with Luke Adams, 20, from Walsall, and Atif Khan, 25, from Park Lane, Tipton, are all charged with murder.

The court was told homicide detectives from West Midlands Police had painstakingly put together a timeline of events using footage from CCTV cameras, video doorbells and camera.

Detective Constable Gurjinder Singh Malhi produced a 430-page document for jurors to help them understand the various flashpoints of the night. A domestic doorbell caught the moment a man Kimani Martin had abducted was let out of the boot of a Volvo.

At the same time Mr Martin and two friends were trying to escape Tipton to get back to safe territory in Aston, Birmingham.

They hid in bushes, ran down roads including Tudor Road and Jays Avenue, and dipped behind Tipton Sports and Social Club as they waited for a taxi to pick them up.

One of defendant’s phones, which they had stolen, was even used to phone a taxi from One-2-One Cars.

DC Malhi said: “This footage clearly shows Kimani and three associates hiding behind bushes as they saw a car drive down the road. They then used Campbell’s phone to ring a taxi.”

Tragically for 18-year-old Kimani Martin, their escape from the Black Country was thwarted by gangland rivals who chased the taxi which had picked them up through the streets of Tipton and Tividale.

CCTV footage shown to the court clearly depicted a VW Golf speeding after the taxi down several roads, including Dudley Road East.

The pursuing car could be seen swerving side to side and flashing its lights at the taxi, the driver of which yesterday told jurors about the moment his passenger was shot dead.

Near Sunrise Court on Dudley Road East, the VW Golf had caught the taxi up and the fatal shotgun blast was delivered to the side of Kimani’s head.

DC Malii then played a piece of CCTV footage with sound, in which a car horn can be heard then a gunshot.

He asked the jury: “Did you hear that?

“A bang can clearly be heard.”

The footage was replayed several times, and the fatal gunshot reverberated around the courtroom.

The tragic moment’s repeating proved too much for Kimani Martin’s family, one of which broke down in tears and had to be escorted from the courtroom.

The defendants sat impassive in the dock as the gunshot was replayed.

DC Mahli then revealed footage of four men running away from the VW Golf.

He said: “The first silhouette I believe to be Campbell and he can be seen carrying a bag on his back with something protruding from the top, which I believe is the gun.”

All defendants deny the charges against them and the trial continues.