A friend of footballer Frank McAvennie was jailed yesterday for his part in helping a man on the run after a gangland killing.

Scotland international McAvennie had been used to booking hotel rooms in his name for taxi driver Craig Shepherd, who was helping Michael Dixon, wanted in connection with the shooting of Freddie Knights, from Newcastle.

Dixon fled with Shepherd to the Bradlock Hotel, Glasgow, with plans to leave the country.

Newcastle Crown Court was told that the pair had such difficulty in finding a vacant room in the city that Shepherd turned to the former Celtic and West Ham star for help.

Glasgow-born McAvennie told the court: "On the day in question Craig rang my mobile while I was at my parents' home in Glasgow.

"He said he was finding it difficult to find a hotel. I said that I would see what I could do.

"I phoned about half-a-dozen hotels in Glasgow and they were all fully booked because of the Celtic-Manchester United game. Craig didn't say what he was doing in Glasgow, I didn't ask."

The plot to get Dixon out of the country was foiled when they were arrested by Scottish police outside the passport office, on May 16, 2001, following a nationwide search.

Dixon, 33, was convicted in September of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm after Mr Knights was shot dead by a masked gunman on the doorstep of his mother's home on Tyneside. He was later jailed for nine years.

Shepherd, 29, of Tirrel Place, Newcastle, denied assisting an offender in May 2001 but was found guilty following a two-week trial and 13 hours' deliberation.

Judge Esmond Faulks jailed him for 12 months. The jury were discharged from giving verdicts in the case of two women who were also accused of assisting Dixon.