A DARTFORD murder suspect who hears voices in his head had his prison conversations with family and friends secretly bugged by police.

Daniel Burgess, aged 33, of Weardale Avenue, is accused of being part of a 20-strong gang which shot Marcus Innocent in the stomach in Woolwich on November 19 last year.

Today (October 14), Old Bailey jurors heard secret recordings of Burgess telling his family he "never meant to kill" the 35-year-old and that the shooting was a "horrible accident".

He claims fellow defendant Perry Lee Sutton had brought a gun to the scene in Lord Warwick Street and that as Burgess took it off him, Mr Innocent tried to grab it and two shots were fired by mistake.

He said: "That's my defence - this is a horrible accident.

"Perry pulled the f***ing gun and if that prick hadn't pulled the gun out, I would have bought some weed.

"I would have gone home and we would have had a smoke.

"Marcus grabbed it and it went off.

"I keep going over it in my head."

In a series of calls and visits, the court heard how Burgess, who hears voices and is on antipsychotic drugs, says he only went to pick up some marijuana from the scene.

Speaking to his father George Burgess, he said: "I didn't mean to kill anyone. I swear that to you on my life. I have got nothing to hide if I tell the truth."

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The calls also show friends giving him legal advice and saying Sutton, aged 25, of Green Street Green Road, Dartford was trying to set up the other defendants.

However, Sutton, in a bugged call, said:  "Surely you can't get 20 (years) for doing nothing?

"When I drove them to Woolwich, I got told they were going to pick up a small bag of weed.

"If I knew they were going to shoot someone, I would never have gone."

Mr Innocent, aged 35, of Kingsman Street, Woolwich, was a student at a Woolwich college and known locally as ‘the CD man’ for selling pirate CDs.

The prosecution claims he "stumbled" upon the "angry mob" out for revenge on their rivals after one of the defendants' cars was smashed up.

Nine men all deny the charge of murder as well as two other counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

The accused are: Burgess and Sutton, aged 25, of Green Street Green Road, Dartford, who has also been charged with possession of a pump-action shotgun and possession of ammunition without a certificate.

Richard Brennan, aged 29, of Elmdene Road, Plumstead, and his brothers Jack Brennan, 21, and Patrick Brennan, 23, of Appleton Road, Kidbrooke.

Raffael Scialo, aged 24, of Eastbrook Road, Charlton; 20-year-old John Kiddle, of Merifield Road, Kidbrooke; Keli-Ray Birch, aged 20, of Maple Tree Place, Corelli Road, Shooters Hill;  and Jordan John-McKenna, aged 20, of Glenluce Road, Blackheath.

The trial continues.