A policeman told a court how he came face to face

A policeman told a court how he came face to face with death
when a gunman, suspected of shooting dead a fellow officer, took
‘slow, calm, and deliberate’ aim at his patrol car.

Police Constable Mark Whitehouse, 25, said bullets ‘bounced
off the surface of the road’ in front of him as he desperately
tried to reverse his car to safety.

He crashed into a fence and became trapped as the gunman, armed
with a semi-automatic rifle, walked towards him, the court heard.

PC Whitehouse said: ‘I had a great feeling of loss.

There was
nothing more I could do.

I just felt it inevitable that we were
going to stay there and wait for him to come down the road towards
us.

‘
The policeman, and his partner WPC Susan Larkin, were saved
by the arrival on the scene of a passing motorist, the court heard.

Both officers had chased after two men in a Ford Sierra car
after hearing over their radio set that two of their colleagues
had been shot on the A64 Leeds-York Road minutes earlier.

PC Whithouse said the Sierra suddenly braked in front of him
on the road to a villiage called Burton Salmon in North Yorkshire.

He told the jury: ‘The passenger door opened.

I saw a man get
out and take to his shoulder what looked like a rifle.

‘
PC Whitehouse added: ‘He pulled the rifle up to his shoulder
and took slow, calm, and deliberate aim towards our vehicle.

Simultaneously, there was a crack and I felt the impact at the
front of our vehicle.

‘
The impact of the single shot almost seemed to stop the police
car in its tracks, the court heard.

PC Whitehouse said: ‘I slammed the vehicle into reverse as
quickly as possible and shoved my partner’s head down.

Between
the first shot and the point where I began reversing the gun was
lowered from the man’s shoulder and he began to run towards us.

‘
He added: ‘There was a continuous burst from the weapon.

You
could see bullets bouncing off the road surface.

I could see them
coming towards me alot faster than I could reverse.

‘
One bullet shattered the windscreen of the police car, the court
heard.

PC Whitehouse said: ‘As they came down in a line towards the car
I was aware that one had hit the windscreen of the vehicle which seemed
to shower slithers of glass into the car.

The rest of the bullets
seemed to hit the driver’s side of the car, to the front.

I felt
the impact of a number of bullets.

‘
The policeman reversed his car into a fence and became trapped,
the court heard.

He said: ‘I crashed into a fence and became stuck.

He was walking
towards our vehicle.

He still had the rifle.

I was focused on the
man with gun.

‘
The policeman said it took him a moment to gather his thoughts.

He jumped out of his car and climbed over the vehicle in a bid to help
his partner escape.

It was at this moment that the headlights of another car could
be seen coming round the corner.

The gunman ran back to the Ford Sierra, jumped in and drove
away.

Ironically, the court heard, the driver of the car which came
upon the scene had earlier been stopped and questioned by PC
Whitehouse.

While this was happening the Ford Sierra came speeding round
the bend and headed straight towards the police car on the wrong
side of the road.

PC Whitehouse said: ‘I was expecting a collision.

I was amazed
when it went past without colliding.

‘
The driver who had been stopped saw PC Whitehouse leap back
into the police car and chase after the Sierra.

He followed the two cars ‘out of curiosity.

‘
Paul Magee, 42, and Michael O’Brien, 28, both deny attempting
to murder PC Whitehouse and WPC Larkin.

They also plead not guilty
to murdering Special Constable Glenn Goodman, 37, and attempting to
murder PC Alexander Kelly, 33, in another shooting incident earlier
that morning, June 7 last year.

At one point when PC Whitehouse was describing the shooting
Magee, sitting in the dock, was heard to call out: ‘You are a
liar.

‘
The trial continues.

ends