Jury Hears Account of Teenager Shot on E-Bike After Ambush

A jury was informed that two masked individuals ambushed a teenager, shooting him in the back as he cycled by on his electric bike. The victim, Nyle Corrigan, aged 19, sustained a fatal injury from a single bullet fired from a Glock 9mm handgun. The incident occurred on Boode Croft in Stockbridge Village, Knowsley, at 18:30 on 12 November 2020. Four men are currently facing trial at Liverpool Crown Court on charges of murder, while an additional man and woman are also accused of assisting an offender. During the opening of its case, the prosecution asserted that Mr Corrigan was targeted with “ruthless efficiency” following the intensification of a dispute concerning a £60 debt owed to him. Richard Wright KC claimed that Martin Wilson, 37, acted as the gunman, with his 26-year-old associate Connor Smith assisting in orchestrating a “trap” for Mr Corrigan. Jamie Coggins, 28, and Anthony Llewelyn, 25, face accusations of aiding in the planning of the murder. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life. Connor Smith’s parents, Melanie Smith, 47, and Mark Sharpe, 49, are charged with facilitating his escape to Portsmouth, from where he intended to travel to Spain. Both individuals deny the charge of assisting an offender. Mr Wright informed the jury, stating: “This was not some random act of street violence. “It was rather a targeted and planned attack executed with ruthless efficiency by a team who had staked out the location knowing that their victim was due to be there.” Surveillance camera footage presented in court depicted Mr Corrigan cycling along Boode Croft towards a spot partially hidden by a tree. Subsequently, a gunshot was audible, and the mortally injured teenager reappeared, stumbling, before collapsing. Two individuals identified as suspects were observed approaching him and speaking before departing on Mr Corrigan’s Sur Ron bike. Emergency medical personnel were summoned to the site, but Mr Corrigan was pronounced deceased at 19:20. Mr Wright informed the court that the shooting stemmed from an escalating and intense disagreement between Mr Corrigan and Liam Cohen, an acquaintance of Mr Wilson, who reportedly owed Mr Corrigan approximately £60. The jury reviewed Facebook communications indicating Mr Corrigan’s growing frustration as Mr Cohen seemingly disregarded his payment requests. On 9 November 2020, Mr Corrigan reportedly sent a message insulting Mr Cohen’s partner, Kayleigh Donnelly. The court was told that this incident caused the dispute to spiral “out of hand” and provoked Mr Wilson to become “incensed.” Mr Wright stated that on the night of 11 November, a contingent of masked men, including Wilson, appeared outside Mr Corrigan’s family residence in Little Moss Hey. This group purportedly informed his mother, Lesley Kelly, that her son was “dead” and would be “getting it.” Mr Corrigan was absent from the home at that moment. The subsequent day, Mr Wilson was captured on CCTV purchasing two pairs of black gloves, two black hats, and two black face masks from a convenience store in Huyton before entering Mr Smith’s Volkswagen Golf. The court heard testimony that, prior to the shooting, an eyewitness observed two masked men entering a vehicle in Quickthorn Crescent in Stockbridge Village. The prosecution contends that this vehicle was a BMW operated by Mr Coggins. Furthermore, it is asserted that Mr Llewelyn had engaged in telephone communication with both his co-defendants and Mr Corrigan. Prosecution barrister Mr Wright informed jurors that Mr Corrigan consumed cannabis and also engaged in local drug sales. He prompted them to contemplate whether this implied he frequented specific places or if meetings with him could be arranged. Mr Wright stated that the firearm used in the murder was discovered during a separate police operation and was found to possess a malfunction preventing a second cartridge from loading after the initial shot. He noted that all defendants denied any involvement in the shooting, suggesting they would probably contend that the prosecution’s evidence constituted a “heap of unfortunate coincidence.” The trial is ongoing.