Oldbury murder suspect says he was 'possibly eating chicken nuggets but definitely smoking weed' at the time

The 27-year-old took the stand after his brother Michael Goodwin had finished being cross examined. Unlike his sibling, Connor Goodwin did not require any help giving evidence and was confident and confrontational on the witness stand at Birmingham Crown Court.

Connor Goodwin frequently clashed with prosecutor Annabel Darlow as he revealed details about his lifestyle as a high performance car thief but maintained he "was not in no car for a shooting".

Mrs Darlow said: "In your defence statement you said you were the main man in Birmingham to get stolen cars off."

He said: "I wouldn't say I was the main man, other people do what I do. But me and my brothers are known for getting people cars."

Happy to admit driving and dealing a variety of stolen cars and number plates, he denied driving the red Mercedes used in the drive-by killing of father-of-eight Anthony Sergeant on August 25, 2018.

He said: "I never drove that car, I had a white Mercedes at the time, and on that day I got a lift home in it."

Goodwin revealed a sales technique was letting people drive Audi, BMW and Mercedes cars 'so they will fall in love with the car" and buy it.

Goodwin, wearing a gold watch and white shirt, claimed to have been in a McDonald's car park during the time of the shooting.

He said: "I was possibly eating chicken nuggets but I was definitely smoking weed. I was buying weed. I smoke weed everywhere, I am a heavy smoker of cannabis.

"I was in a black Ford Focus ST, there are not that many of them cars around, check the cameras, every McDonald's drive through have APNR cameras which record number plates, go and check it, it will show I was there."

Goodwin, however, said he could not remember the actual registration of the car as he deals number plates, and Mrs Darlow told him it would be impossible for footage to be retrieved four years after the crime.

When it was put to him that he and friends organised the killing of Mr Sergeant, who was shot dead outside his mother's house in Lea Bank, he said: "No, your mistakenly wrong. I ain't got nothing to hide."

Goodwin explained he regularly left his partner and children at home spent time on the Ladywood estate "chilling" with friends he grew up with, smoking weed and drinking alcohol in a "special alley" near King Edwards Road.

Connor and Michael Goodwin, 26, of Wallace Road, Oldbury, along with Leon Riley, 21, of Bridgelands Way, Perry Barr, and Keenan Anderson, 25, of Albert Road, Handsworth, are all accused of murder, which they deny.

Connor Goodwin was congratulated by his fellow defendants in the dock after finishing his first session of evidence and his family blew kisses to him from the public gallery.

All deny murder and the trial continues.