Club murder accused says: I was in my car.

Victim Michael Hanley, 23, and flowers at the scene of the tragedy in Ravensthorpe

'Loud pop' was heard outside bar

A MAN accused of murdering nightclubber Michael Hanley claimed he was in his car when he heard a noise which 'could have been a gun shot'.

Defendant Shane Thomas, 23, from Longroyd Bridge, said he went to his car following a scuffle with Mr Hanley. There Thomas said he heard a 'loud pop'.

Mr Hanley, 23, from Harehills, east Leeds, was shot dead outside Sheridan's Bar nightclub, Ravens- thorpe, on December 2005.

Darren Foley, 19, from Dalton, has admitted murder.

Thomas and Jamie Hislop, 22, of Sheepridge deny murder.

Another man Igor Simic, 20, of Berry Brow denies attempting to pervert the course of justice.

From a police interview read to Leeds Crown Court, Thomas said he had tried to split up a fight between Hanley and another man. The accused said Hanley had been showing off and had deliberately bumped into another man.

Outside the club Thomas, admitted punching Mr Hanley after the deceased threw a punch at him. After a short fight, Thomas claimed he left for his car.

The defendant said he heard a loud pop which made him want to drive off. He then said his car was struck from behind by a BMW.

Thomas denied driving Foley away from the club. He claimed he had told Foley to get out of his car because he was angry Foley had got them ejected from Sheridan's.

Thomas said he only learned about Mr Hanley's killing later in the newspaper.

He denied intimidating witness Ben Milburn, his girlfriend Stephanie Murdoch and her father Horace Murdoch. Thomas denied knowing Mr Murdoch, claiming he had only 'heard of him'.

Transcripts of Hislop's police interviews were read out in court. Hislop denied he had seen any fighting in or outside the club. He refuted hearing a gun shot and claimed any bangs he heard could have come from the music in Sheridan's.

Hislop claimed he saw cars speeding past when he left the club and that one of the cars had hit his leg. He said he then went to his girlfriend's house in Newsome.

Hislop denied chasing or fighting Mr Hanley. He denied seeing a gun-shaped hand gesture and refuted passing a gun to Foley and telling him to 'load it'.

He told police he couldn't remember talking to Thomas or Foley in the club.

Hislop brushed off claims he came into contact with the BMW in which Mr Hanley's friend Vinod France escaped. He claimed he had only heard of the shooting the next day on the news.

The case continues.