A drinker was shot dead from point blank range bec

A drinker was shot dead from point blank range because he had
‘taken the mickey’ during a game of pool weeks before, the Old
Bailey heard today Monday.

Anthony Farrell, 33, returned to the pub armed with a pistol,
taunted his rival Mr William Yeoll and later followed him into
the gents.

Inside, he took out the gun – adapted by him to fire fishing
weights – and blasted Mr Yeoll, 36, in the side of the head, it
was alleged.

The victim died from horrific head injuries.

Farrell, of Woodcote Grove Road, Coulsdon, denies murdering
Mr Yeoll at the Tally Ho pub, Coulsdon Road, Caterham, Kent, on
November 19 last year.

The jury was told the two men, both regulars at the pub, had
barely met until the game of pool which seemingly sparked off
the slaying.

Farrell, known by his nickname The Slug, was playing with
another regular when Mr Yeoll began making ‘innocuous comments’,
said Mr Nigel Sweeney, prosecuting.

‘He began taking the mickey out of both of them.

‘One barman said Mr Yeoll was giving advice, another said he
was going over the top.

‘
Farrell later declined to return to the pool table when his
turn at the table came up again, allegedly adding: ‘If I go back
in there, I’ll kill him.

‘
The exact timing of the clash is uncertain but the defendant
later said it was two to three weeks before, jurors were told.

Then on November 19 he met a friend, local carpet shop owner
David Richardson, for the lunchtime session, counsel said.

‘Farrell said he was not popular at the pub.

Later he
produced the loaded gun from his anorak.

‘When Mr Yeoll arrived that evening, he went up to him and
said: “All right, smiler?” and walked into the saloon bar.

‘
The evening continued in a ‘perfectly happy’ style until
8.

50pm when Mr Yeoll went to the gents in the saloon bar, the
court heard.

‘Farrell followed shortly after.

Drinkers then heard the bang
of a shot.

‘In the toilet, Mr Yeoll was found bleeding profusely from a
substantial hole under his right ear.

He had been shot in the
head.

‘
Despite desperate efforts of a trained paramedic on hand in
the bar, Mr Yeoll, of Addison Close, Caterham, died seconds
later.

‘Farrell told one person that he had been shot from outside,
through the window.

‘He told other people he had shot Mr Yeoll.

‘
Farrell tried to leave but was restrained.

He later told the police he had produced the gun in order to
frighten Mr Yeoll, who he claimed was ‘bullying’ him, but it had
gone off accidentally.

At his home, smashed wooden target boards showed where he had
practised with the gun in the days leading up to the shooting,
the jury was told.

The gun, a Rossi .

320 pistol, was found to have ‘relatively
light’ trigger, counsel added.

The trial continues.

ENDS