A MURDER trial witness has described how she saw three “dodgy” men – one of them appearing to carry a hammer – in the moments before a fatal shooting.

The woman, who gave evidence from behind a screen in the trial of Luke Lovell and Gordon Smith, said one of the men kept looking over his shoulder, while another had something hiding up his sleeve.

Pressed as to what the item might be the witness said it “could have been a hammer, the handle of a hammer”.

Mr Lovell, 22, of Wilton Way, Whale Hill, Eston, and co-accused 23-year-old Gordon ‘Blue’ Smith, of Laburnum Road, Teesville, Middlesbrough, deny the murder of Lee Pettite in Eston on March 1 this year.

They are accused of being involved in a joint enterprise to carry out a “targeted, persistent and planned” attack on the 22-year-old victim who was shot through the lung and died of massive blood loss.

A third man, 21-year-old Christopher Stubbs, of Tyne Street, South Bank, near Middlesbrough, has already admitted murder and is awaiting sentence.

The Crown says that following an argument between Stubbs and the victim, he recruited Mr Lovell and Mr Smith to go to the home of Mr Pettite and they had with them a rifle, ammunition and other weapons including sticks, a cosh and a golf club.

Mr Pettit was shot twice, once through the foot and once through the chest having been chased by the group in what has been described as a “pincer movement”.

He had previously agreed to a fight with Stubbs.

In her evidence the female witness said she was preparing tea for her children when she saw three men walking past her window.

Mr Lovell’s barrister Richard Sutton asked what impression she gained of the man looking over his shoulder to which the witness said: “He looked like he was a bit dodgy.”

The woman later agreed under further cross-examination that all three looked a bit dodgy.

She said was not aware of Mr Pettite’s shooting until police called later that evening and told her what had happened.

The trial at Teesside Crown Court continues.