Shot teenager was 'wrong victim'

Andrew Devlin died after being shot in the back outside a nightclub

A teenager who was shot dead outside a nightclub in Renfrewshire was not the intended victim, a court has heard.

Andrew Devlin, 18, from Glasgow, died after the shooting outside Suzy Q's snooker club in Paisley in August 2007.

Eyewitness Thomas Coutts, 32, told the High Court in Glasgow that he believed Gerry O'Doherty, who was also shot, had been the intended victim.

Three men, Anthony Collins, 30, Richard McCondochie, 25, and John Burke, 28, all deny murder and attempted murder.

The court heard how Mr Devlin had been attending a friend's 21st birthday party when he was shot.

Mr Coutts told the jury he believed a contract had been taken out on fellow partygoer, Gerry O'Doherty, nicknamed Baw Bag.

Under cross-examination by Collins' defence QC Donald Findlay, Mr Coutts was asked: "What you are telling the jury is a Peugeot car stopped at the front door then tried to kill Mr O'Doherty?"

He replied: "Yes."

There were hundreds of holes in the back of his shirt. He was gasping for air. I lifted his shirt. It was all pepper pots all over his back. I comforted him and told him it would be all right Thomas Coutts Eyewitness

Mr Findlay then added: "But tragically somebody else was shot - Andrew Devlin. He was not the intended victim. This was about somebody trying to kill Gerry Baw Bag."

Mr Coutts replied: "As far as I know."

He agreed with Mr Findlay that Mr O'Doherty was someone who attracted trouble and had many enemies.

Earlier, prosecutor Iain McSporran played CCTV footage taken from the club which showed Mr Devlin, Mr O'Doherty and others outside smoking and chatting.

The film shows people running towards the door of Suzy Q's and Mr Devlin falling inside the door as he is shot.

Three shots

Mr Coutts, who was also outside the club, told the court that he noticed a Peugeot estate car in front of the club.

He said he rolled under a parked car when he heard the first shot.

When asked what he saw, Mr Coutts replied: "A barrel sticking out the window. It was a single barrel. I think it was a pump-action shotgun because it fired three times. The barrel was cut short."

Speaking about the first shot Mr Coutts said: "It looked as if it was fired at Gerry. I saw Gerry run towards the door. He bumped Andrew. He nudged him out of the way to get in."

The shooting happened outside Suzy Q's nightclub in Paisley

Mr Coutts told the court that after the third shot the car drove away.

When he went into the club Mr Devlin was lying on the ground.

Mr Coutts added: "There were hundreds of holes in the back of his shirt. He was gasping for air. I lifted his shirt. It was all pepper pots all over his back. I comforted him and told him it would be all right."

Mr Coutts said that there were at least two men in the car, but stated he could not identify the gunman, who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

Mr Collins, Mr McCondochie and Mr Burke, all from Glasgow, also deny attempting to defeat the ends of justice by concealing a shotgun and setting fire to a Peugeot 307 estate car between 3 August 2007 and 20 June, last year, and firearms charges.

Mr Collins and Mr McCondochie have lodged special defences.

Co-accused Laura Kinnear, 29, from Govan, Glasgow, denies firearms charges between 15 and 30 October 2007.

The trial before Lord Malcolm continues.