Youth 'unaware' care worker shot

Magda Pniewska was shot in the head

A 17-year-old has told an Old Bailey jury he did not realise a woman had been killed in a shoot-out until he was fleeing the scene.

Magda Pniewska, 26, died in crossfire between two teenage gunmen in New Cross, south London, in October 2007.

The nursing care assistant was shot in the forehead and died at the scene.

The youth, whose gun did not fire the fatal bullet, said he shot at the other youth to "scare him off". He denies murder and attempted murder.

Ms Pniewska, from New Cross, was shot as she took a short-cut through a car park.

She was talking to her sister Elzbieta Luby in Poland on her mobile phone as she died.

Giving evidence the teenager, who cannot be named, said he wanted to scare another 17-year-old with whom he had a fight weeks earlier.

The youth crouched behind a car and shot at the boy as he saw him on the stairs, he told the court.

I had never shot a gun before - I was panicking - I was trying to scare him off Defendant, 17

"I put my hands over my head as I was crouching and let off a shot," he said.

"It was not more than two shots. I was aiming at the sky."

He added: "I had never shot a gun before. I was panicking. I was trying to scare him off."

He said he saw the targeted teenager standing with "wide eyes", before both ran away.

The youth said he saw the care worker's body as he fled. "I could not see exactly. I saw bags, I saw hair... a person was shot," he said.

He admitted possessing a gun but pleaded not guilty to possessing a gun to endanger life. He said he intended to sell it for a friend.

The second teenager was also arrested but has not been charged, the court heard. The trial continues.