The streets of Bow were turned into a Wild West st
The streets of Bow were turned into a Wild West style shoot
out after an angry clash at a 21st bash, the Old Bailey heard
today Tuesday.
Birthday boy Danny Crouch was shot in the chest and his
brother Glenn, 28, was blasted in the face by Vince Dewey
wielding a sawn-off shotgun, the jury heard.
The brothers were shot after allegedly confronting Dewey,
21, and three others standing side by side in Addington Road,
Bow, in a scene straight out of the classic western High Noon.
Dewey and Mark Munro, 19, deny attempting to murder the
Crouch brothers on August 2 last year.
Dewey, Munro, his brother Neil, 22, and Anthony Pettit, 20,
deny violent disorder and affray.
Mr Malcolm Fortune, prosecuting, said trouble had flared at
the Crouch family home in Malmsbury Road, Bow, as the 21st
party wound down in the early hours.
All the defendants were among the 40 guests who had attended.
‘Danny became involved in a verbal argument with Neil Munro
about his behaviour towards, or treatment of, his 18-year-old
sister, Natasha Crouch, at the party.
‘The argument soon turned into a fight.
‘
Glenn Crouch, who had been alerted by the sound of a woman
screaming, ran to the scene of the clash – only to be sprayed
in the face with CS gas by Mark Munro, it was alleged.
Other partygoers then intervened to stop the ensuing fracas,
counsel said.
‘Mark Munro ran off, telling the Crouch’s they were ”going
to die.
”
‘Dewey left the scene to go back to his home nearby, collect
the gun and return.
‘Glenn and Danny Crouch chased the Munro brothers.
‘In Addington Road, the Munro’s joined up with Dewey, who
was then armed with a shortened .
410 double barrelled shotgun,
and Pettit.
‘They stood four abreast in a line.
‘Dewey raised the gun and fired, hitting Danny and causing
him to fall to the ground, wounded in the chest.
‘As he lay wounded, he heard a loud click.
The second barrel
had failed to fire.
‘
Dewey allegedly reloaded and then raised the gun with both
arms and told Glenn Crouch: ‘You’re going to die – come on.
‘
‘Dewey fired with one barrel, hitting him in the left arm and
chest,’ continued counsel.
‘Mr Crouch was felled by the blast but managed to get to his
feet.
‘
As he staggered, he said he heard Mark Munro urge Dewey to
‘shoot the bastard’ then felt a second blast him hit him above
the right eye.
All four defendants then fled into the night.
Police, summoned by neighbours who had been woken by the
fight, arrived on the scene and the Crouch brothers were rushed
to hospital.
Both had to undergo surgery.
A firearms expert later said the brothers were within lethal
range when the shotgun was fired.
Dewey was arrested at his home in Bow Road later that morning.
The shotgun, which was loaded, and a further 24 cartridges were
found at his address, the court heard.
Mark Munro, unemployed, and his brother Neil, an insurance
agent, both of Hunters Walk, Plaistow, and Pettit, a postman of
Stratford Road, Plaistow, were arrested later that day.
In interview, Dewey claimed he had been sprayed in the face
with CS gas at the party, lost his temper and ran home, at Mark
Munro’s bidding, to get his gun.
But he maintained he did not intentionally shoot either of
the Crouch brothers.
The shotgun discharged by accident as he
and Mark Munro grappled with it.
Munro denied handling the shotgun or inciting Dewey to shoot.
His brother Neil told detectives he had been attacked after
Danny Crouch threatened him not to ‘f*** his sister about.
‘
When he saw the gun, Munro said he pleaded with Dewey not to
shoot.
Pettit maintained to police that he too acted as peacemaker
when Danny Crouch was ‘spoiling for a fight’.
He said he was
unaware that Dewey was armed.
Mark Munro denies assaulting Glenn Crouch, causing actual
bodily harm, for the CS gas attack.
He and Dewey deny attempting to murder both brothers and
causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Dewey denies having a shotgun with intent to endanger life
and with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
All four deny violent disorder and affray.
The trial continues.
ENDS
