The trial of two men accused of planning to commit a murder, arising from the firing of a shotgun at a house, is set to start at the end of next month.

Kevin Chapman, 40, of Hawthorn Avenue, and 29-year-old Aaron Giles, of Richardson Avenue, both South Shields, are each charged with conspiring together to murder a man.

They both denied the charge at a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court in October.

Mr Giles also denied a second count of possessing a firearm, a shotgun, with intent to endanger life.

Read more: Trial date set next year for pair charged with South Shields murder conspiracy

They were among five people arrested amid police inquiries into the discharge of a shotgun a property in Brownlow Road, South Shields, shortly after 9pm on Wednesday September 21, last year.

Police attended and confirmed no-one was injured in the incident.

A third South Shields man, aged 22 at the time, was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder, but the case against him was subsequently discontinued by the prosecution.

Read more: South Shields shotgun incident: Third man charged

The pair who remain accused were both produced from custody for a further case management hearing at Newcastle Crown Court today (Monday January 9) where prosecuting counsel Jamie Hill said arrangements for the trial remain in place for a start on Tuesday February 28.

Read next:

               Murder plot accused Jak Hughes in court over South Shields shotgun incident

               Man charged after firearm was discharged in South Shields

               Five arrested after firearm incident at South Shields property

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But the original time-estimate for the hearing of 15 days may be foreshortened to ten days, possibly just extending into a third week, as only two men now face the allegations.

Signed defence statements and lists of witness required were submitted to the court by lawyers for both men at today’s hearing.

Judge Paul Sloan adjourned the case and remanded both accused to remain in custody, pending the start of the trial