Bradley Welsh trial prosecutor labels Edinburgh street shooting 'absolutely outrageous' and 'cowardly'

T2 Trainspotting actor Bradley Welsh was shot dead in an ‘absolutely outrageous’ and ‘cowardly’ attack by the man accused of murdering him, a court has heard.

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Prosecutor Richard Goddard QC told jurors how there is ‘overwhelming’ proof showing that Sean Orman, 30, killed Welsh, 48, in April 2019.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Goddard say on Thursday morning that there are 21 different pieces of evidence which establishes Orman’s guilt for killing the former boxer.

Blasted in the face with a shotgun: Bradley Welsh

The solicitor advocate also told the court that investigators had also established that Orman attempted to murder a businessman David McMillan,50, at a property in Edinburgh one month earlier.

Asking jurors to convict Orman of the two attacks, Mr Goddard said: “I say to you that the murder of a defenceless Bradley Welsh by shooting him on the steps of his family home in a public street in Edinburgh was an absolutely outrageous and cowardly act by that man.

“And what you have is the collective strength of 21 separate circumstances arising from all different sources of evidence and pointing the same way - all pointing the same way and forming an overwhelming case that Sean Orman is responsible.

“I say to you that all of these points together provide you with the security that you deserve to be satisfied that the right thing to do is convict the accused.”

Tributes at the scene of the shooting

READ MORE: Bradley Welsh murder accused 'lied' to lawyer about where he was on night of shooting

Mr Goddard was speaking on the 11th day of proceedings against Orman, of Edinburgh. He denies charges of murder and attempted murder.

In his closing speech to jurors, Mr Goddard said that Welsh was was the victim of a “targeted attack”.

Mr Goddard also spoke of how Dean White gave evidence against Orman at the trial.

Mr Goddard spoke of how Mr White contacted police a month before Welsh was shot. He told detectives that Orman was being paid £10,000 by a man called George Baigrie to kill Welsh.

Mr Goddard said Mr White described Orman as being the “dangerous one” and was “walking about with a shotgun”. He said Mr White had spoken of how Orman had shown him the weapon.

Mr Goddard said a black and grey holdall which Mr White described as holding the shotgun was found in the home of James ‘Peem’ Davidson.

The court heard Mr Davidson was a friend of Orman., and it was found to have “firearm residue” on it.

The court heard that Mr White also told police how Orman accidentally fired the shotgun into the floor of the property where they met.

Mr Goddard said the police later examined the property and found a gunshot.

The officers were also able to establish that material in the shot “matched” material found in shotgun cartridges found at a house in the Lochend area of Edinburgh linked to Orman.

It also matched material from samples recovered from Welsh’s body.

The court heard that Mr White spoke about an “old fashioned” gun.

Witnesses who were close by when Welsh also got shot also spoke of how the ‘shooter’ had an old fashioned gun.

The jury was told Mr White’s description of the “old-fashioned” shotgun in Orman’s possession was similar to one which was found at a property in Lanarkshire last year. Mr Goddard said that Orman had been in contact with the man who lived at the house through WhatsApp.

READ MORE: Bradley Welsh trial: Detectives were told of murder plot weeks before victim was shot in the face

Mr Goddard also spoke of how Mr White had spoken of how Orman was doing jobs for a man called ‘Dode Baigrie’.

The advocate depute said Mr Baigrie phoned Orman’s mother days after Welsh lost his life and told her that her son was okay.

Mr Goddard also told the jury how a witness also described the assassin as being “tanned” and how it was agreed evidence that Orman had repeatedly visited tanning salons.

Mr Goddard also spoke of a stolen Ford Kuga motor car which prosecutors allege was used by Orman to in the days before Welsh died.

Mr Goddard said the car had a tracker which recorded its movements and the evidence showed that it drove past Welsh’s home in Chester Street three times on April 7 2019.

Mr Goddard described this as being “some sort of reconnaissance trip”. He also said that evidence showed that Orman’s mobile phone had been switched off at the time of these trips.

Mr Goddard told the jurors that they could conclude that Orman was the driver and he switched his phone off because he didn’t want anybody to know what he was doing.

Mr Goddard also spoke of how the Ford Kuga spent six minutes outside Welsh’s gym in Edinburgh.

And he also said that a phone associated with Mr Orman was tracked on mobile phone masts close to Chester Street in Edinburgh in the hours before Mr Welsh died.

Mr Goddard said the Ford Kuga went to Kirknewton, West Lothian, shortly after the shooting and he said Orman got out of the car and was captured on CCTV.

Mr Goddard said the CCTV images of the man in Kirknewton showed that he had the same clothing as the man who was seen on CCTV running away from Chester Street following the shooting.

The lawyer also spoke of how the jurors had seen video recordings of police chasing Orman at speeds of up to 123 mph through the streets of Edinburgh in the days following the attack.

Mr Goddard said jurors should consider Orman’s behaviour in this chase.

He added: “Sean Orman was willing to go to any lengths, putting lives at risk, to avoid capture by the police”.

The court heard that forensic scientists found firearms discharge residue in the pockets of jogging bottoms belonging to Mr Orman.

The scientists concluded that quantities of the residue were so great that they must have been placed there as a consequence of coming into contact with a firearm that had gone off.

Mr Goddard said Orman had admitted ‘making up’ an alibi that at the time Mr Welsh died, he was riding a motorbike.

And he also said that Orman failed to provide explanations which showed he was innocent of any wrongdoing.

Urging jurors to convict Orman, Mr Goddard said: “Mr Orman spent time after time trying to avoid answering questions and if pressed put the wealth of evidence against him down to coincidence and bad luck.

“He has no explanation for how Dean White could predict the attack on Bradley Welsh. No explanation how Dean White knew when it was to be carried out or the gun that was to be used.

“There is no explanation how witnesses recognised the gun in the house to be the same one that was in the hands of the shooter.

“There is no explanation for firearms discharge residue in the grey and black holdall. No explanation for how Dean White would have ever known how Sean Orman knew George Baigrie.

“What explanation were you given for why the phone was switched off everytime the Ford Kuga drove past Chester Street or the gym ran by the deceased.

“Well, it seems to be either chance or bad luck or the battery running out or the phone which he described as having a mind of its own.

“It seems I think to Mr Orman bad luck that there is firearms discharge residue in his pockets - there is no sensible explanation.

“You were also left with an extraordinary passage of evidence in which the accused claims to have made up his first defence to the charge lodged in court papers at this court in June of last year.

“He made up a story to his lawyers that he was on a motorbike heading for East Calder.

“He said he lied to his own lawyers as a scheme because he wanted to reveal his true defence at the last minute.

“You might find all of this to be a bizarre claim. Maybe it’s just that after two years, he didn’t know what he was going to say his defence to all of this was.”

READ MORE: Bradley Welsh murder trial: Prosecution drop 13 charges against accuseds

Orman has pleaded not guilty to two charges.

Prosecutors claim that on March 13 2019, at 1 Pitcairn Grove, Edinburgh, Orman - “whilst acting along with others to the posecutor unknown” - wore a mask and assaulted David McMillan,50, by striking him to the head and body with a machete or “similar instrument.”

It’s claimed that the assault was to Mr McMillan’s “severe injury” and that Orman attempted to murder him.

Orman’s legal team have lodged two special defences to the court.

In relation to the alleged attempted murder bid on Mr McMillan, Orman claims a man called Michael Sutherland “and others.. unknown” were responsible for the alleged attack.

Orman’s legal team claims that at the time Welsh was shot, he was not in Chester Street but was “elsewhere” travelling alone on a “cycle” between Longstone and Kirknewton, Midlothian.

The trial, before Lord Beckett, continues.

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