Gun downed - Daniel Famakinwa

A professional dancer choked back tears as he told a court how his friend was shot dead in a gunpoint robbery at a bus stop.

Charma Audu was with victim Daniel Famakinwa, 20, when they were confronted by a group of six youths outside a nightclub in West Norwood.

One of the attackers asked them, “What ends you from?” while a second pulled out a silver pistol from the waistband of his trousers, it is claimed.

Mr Audu told jurors that he asked the gunman: Why have you pulled a gun out, what’s going on? Put it away.”

In response, two of the group demanded: “All of you empty your pockets”, the Old Bailey heard.

Mr Audu added: “The gunman was fidgety. He kept putting the gun away and re-producing it. Then the gun goes off.”

“I ran to the right. Then I looked back and I saw Daniel lying on the floor. I ran back as fast as I could to grab him.”

“I tried to resuscitate him. There was a lot of blood leaking on the ground.”

Mr Audu then became visibly distressed in the dock.

Asked whether Mr Famakinwa, from Manor Park, had said or done anything when the gun was pulled out, he replied: “Daniel didn’t really react. He didn’t really say anything.”

Mr Audu said he and the victim had danced professionally together at The O2 Arena and had been good friends for more than two years.

In the early hours of August 6 last year they met with several other friends outside the West Norwood Snooker Club, which was holding a club night.

Mr Audu said there was no trouble inside the club and told jurors they “danced a lot” before leaving at closing time, 3.45am.

“I was sat down looking at my phone,” he added. “Then I noticed a bunch of younger boys in front of me. My initial thought was they were boys that shouldn’t be out, should be at home, 16 or 17.”

“One of them came over and he said, ‘What ends you from?’

“There are two meanings to that – either the person knows you and maybe recognises you from the area or more likely there’s going to be an attempted robbery or some type of fight.”

“My response was something like, ‘It’s not that time. Be cool.’ He seemed a bit stunned.”

“Then the smallest one of the group reaches into his waistband, tracksuit, for a silver pistol and waves it about.”

It is claimed the gunman was 19-year-old Ezekiel Charles-Stirling and the other youths were Rohmelle Bogle, Josh Chieke, Christopher Perry and Demmar Dawkins, all 18, and Adrian Rhodes, also 19.

Charles-Stirling, of Kitley Gardens, Upper Norwood; Bogle, of Acre Lane, Brixton; Chieke, of King George House, Stockwell Road, Stockwell; Perry, of Barcombe Avenue, Streatham; Rhodes, of Stockwell and Dawkins, of Franklin Close, West Norwood all deny murder, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing a prohibited firearm.

Charles-Stirling, Bogle, Chieke, Perry and Dawkins further deny additional counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing a prohibited firearm.

The trial continues.