Son 'killed by ruthless robbers'

Craig Hodson-Walker was shot dead inside the post office

"Ruthless and determined" robbers shot dead a sub-postmaster's son as he tried to defend his parents during a raid in Worcestershire, a jury has been told.

Craig Hodson-Walker, 29, was killed in the raid at Fairfield Post Office on 9 January, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Anselm Ribera, Adrian Snape, Christopher Morrissey and his brother Declan deny murder.

They also deny the attempted murder of Craig's father Ken Hodson-Walker, who was shot in the leg.

Mr Ribera, of Topfield House, Druids Heath, Birmingham; Mr Snape, of Camelot Way, Small Heath, Birmingham; Christopher Morrissey, of Elmay Road, Sheldon, Birmingham and his brother Declan, of Shirley Park Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, also deny possessing a firearm with intent to danger life.

'Not random'

Prosecutor Timothy Raggatt QC told jurors in his opening speech that the men, who were carrying a gun and a sledge hammer, had used "concerted and ferocious violence".

He said: "You will probably come to the conclusion, we suggest, this was not a random crime, this was a planned crime.

"The crime was ruthlessly carried out and carried out with great determination."

The gun was fired three times inside the post office store, he told the jury.

The post office raid took place in January

Craig was shot first. The gunman then turned the weapon on his father, who only escaped death "by luck, rather than judgement", Mr Raggatt alleged.

The fact it hit his leg was no defence, he added.

"There was, we suggest, the same intent that led to the death of Craig Hodson-Walker," Mr Raggatt said.

He told the court: "It is the Crown's case [the gun] was in the hands of Anselm Ribera at the time, but of course it does not stop there because it is in effect a team weapon."

He said the other three defendants had known "perfectly well" Anselm Ribera was carrying a gun and was prepared to use it.

The prosecution said Mr Snape had admitted driving a stolen VW Golf allegedly involved in the raid and also admitted attempted robbery. The other three defendants have denied attempted robbery.

'Footprint evidence'

Mr Raggatt told jurors the car had been stolen by Christopher Morrissey and his brother Declan 10 days earlier from a house in Knowle, Solihull.

Both deny the charge.

The Crown said Declan Morrissey's size five shoe prints had been found at the scene of the Fairfield shooting and in the car and the house it was stolen from.

Jurors were also told that part of his fingerprint was found on a CD in the stolen car.

The trial continues.

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