'No reason' for pavement shooting

A social worker shot after an alleged incident on a pavement has said he does not understand why it happened, the Old Bailey has heard.

Abu Kamara, 43, was allegedly shot by John Laidlaw, 24, on a north London street last year after a sports bag touched the gunman's friend.

The bullet lodged in his neck near his spinal column and has not been removed.

Mr Laidlaw, of Sussex Rd, Holloway, north London, denies three counts of attempted murder and firearms charges.

Mr Kamara had been playing badminton with friends when a bag belonging to one of his group allegedly brushed the gunman's friend.

'Very, very difficult'

Mr Kamara said he was continuing to receive treatment after the attack and has had to have an operation to repair his voice box and allow him to talk properly.

He also said he had found it hard returning to his work, near the site of the shooting.

"I have had to do counselling to deal with the anger. I have support from my family and my partner. It's been very, very difficult," he told the court.

"For me there is no reason. If you get into a situation where you have to beg for your life, at least you argue with somebody.

"There was nothing that night where I would believe that it led where it led, to a case where I could have lost my life, where I was going to hospital and could be paralysed or might not have been here to talk to you today."

Mr Laidlaw is also alleged later in the day to have opened fire with a pistol outside Finsbury Park Tube station hitting 26-year-old Emma Sheridan in the back.

The trial was adjourned until Monday.