Boy 'paid to flaunt guns' for BBC

A teenager was paid £50 by a "fixer" to brandish guns on the BBC's Panorama programme, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified, was filmed assembling a shotgun for the programme about guns and gang culture on Merseyside.

He admitted possession of a shotgun, a handgun and ammunition last December.

His defence said he was paid to flash the guns by the fixer, who was a gang member. The BBC maintained it had made no payments to the gunman.

They were firearms owned by the gangs, he was given them to flaunt on camera Jason Smith, defending

The court heard how the teenager, a member of the Marsh Gang, was approached by an intermediary and paid the cash to show off the weapons on camera.

After the Young Guns documentary was broadcast in July last year, Merseyside's Chief Constable, Bernard Hogan-Howe, wrote to BBC director-general Mark Thompson asking if young people had been paid to pose with guns.

Jason Smith, defending the youth, said: "The defence contention is not that he was paid directly by the Panorama film producers, but he was paid money by an intermediary who had been paid money to fix it on their behalf.

"He was provided the firearms to display on camera, although he was associated with the gang and they were firearms owned by the gangs, he was given them to flaunt on camera."

Case adjourned

Mr Smith said the intermediary, referred to in court as Male C, was a leading figure in the Marsh Gang.

He said: "The defendant was told by Male C that a TV crew were in the area making a film about gangs and offering money as they wanted to tell tales of guns and violence.

"On the evening of June 30 last year the defendant was offered £50 by Male C to collect some guns and go in front of the TV cameras to make threats and show off on behalf of the Marsh Gang.

"After collecting the guns he went to a location where he met Male C and a cameraman and was told to show off the weapons.

"It is not suggested that the BBC or the cameraman suggested he show off the firearms.

"After the filming, he took the guns back to where he had collected them and was told 'nice one' by Male C and was given £50."

Ian Davies, prosecuting, said the Crown accepted the teenager's version of events and the case was adjourned for sentence on 23 January.

A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "We have always said that the BBC did not make any payments to the gunman.

"The programme fully complied with the BBC's editorial guidelines.

"The BBC and its journalists have co-operated fully with Merseyside Police in connection with this matter."

She added: "If any payments were made to the gunman, we had no knowledge of them."