Man admitted Junaid shooting claim

A MAN accused of gunning down murder victim Junaid Khan told a drug-dealer pal that he had done it, a court heard.

Milad Finn is alleged to have used a machine gun to shoot dead 21-year-old shop worker Mr Khan, who he is said to have blamed for the theft of £175,000 of cannabis.

Pierre Samson (27), a convicted gunman who peddled crack cocaine in Preston and Oldham, claimed that he and Finn were partners-in-crime in 2009.

Mr Samson told Manchester Crown Court that he suspected Finn of being involved in the murder before he told him.

He said that his hunch was confirmed in August, 2009, about a month after Mr Khan was killed.

The court heard that the two men had been “moaning” about police closing in on them for separate shootings.

Mr Samson said that when he tried to reassure Finn that only rumours connected him to Mr Khan’s murder, Finn began to go through events.

Mr Samson told the court: “He said that he had used a Mac-10 in the incident. He began to explain that the person... murdered that night was the person who he believed had taken the crop of weed that had been stolen at an earlier date.

“He had got information that this person was in a certain place on that night. He went to that location... called them over. He thought the Mac-10 was on single fire, but it was on automatic. He shot the person and he continued to open fire and then drove off.”

Days after the alleged confession Finn was arrested and remanded in custody, the court heard.

Mr Samson said he believed Finn told him about the shooting because they were “going through the same situation”.

On July 8, 2009 — the same night Mr Khan was murdered — Mr Samson had fired a 9mm Luger into the air after an argument with a rival group in Preston.

The witness claimed the gun was supplied by Finn, and that after the shooting of Mr Khan in Block Lane, Chadderton, he arranged to meet him at Falmouth Street, Oldham, to give it back.

Finn was said to have arrived dressed in “throwaway” clothes when he normally wore designer gear.

Mr Samson told the court that Finn seemed in a rush and refused to take back the gun on the night “because he had his own things to sort out”.

Mr Samson said that once he found out about Mr Khan’s murder, which happened after the meeting at Falmouth Street, he thought that Finn might be involved.

Mr Samson claimed that he was introduced to Finn in December, 2008. Mr Samson said thay went into business together, with Finn sourcing the cocaine before Mr Samson arranged for it to be converted into rocks of crack and distributed in Oldham.

Finn (23), of Lauriston Close, Wythenshawe, Liaquat Khan (29) and Kashif Khan (26), both of Worcester Street, Oldham; and Naveed Shabir (28), of Coppice Street, Oldham, all deny murder. Finn also denies perverting the cause of justice following claims he threatened and attempted to bribe a witness.