One of the three men on trial for attempted murder at Truro Crown Court said that he was “glad to be arrested” after one man was shot in the back and another hit five times on the head with a hammer.

At the start of his defence case today, Gavin Smale told the jury he was very scared during the raid on the house in Drump Road, Redruth last year and had not taken part in the violence meted out by his fellow defendants.

Smale is on trial alongside Paul Amoah and Lee Mitchell for the attempted murder of drug dealer Yarislav Divorkis, also known as Yarick, who nearly died after being shot in the back - allegedly by Amoah during a break-in at the property.

Another man in the property, Terry Madden, was hit five times on the head with a hammer during the incident at the house, allegedly by Mitchell.

Smale, aged 43, of Fore Street, Redruth, Amoah, aged 38, of No Fixed Abode, Camborne and Lee Mitchell, aged 28, of Tresaderns Road, Redruth are each charged under joint enterprise with one count of attempted murder, two counts of wounding with intent, one count of unlawful wounding and one count of aggravated burglary with weapons. They have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Mr Smale told the jury that on July 6, Amoah and Mitchell had turned up at his caravan where he lived with his partner at the rear of the Red Lion pub. Smale said he owed them money for drugs as both he and his partner were drug addicts.

He said when he told them he didn’t have any money he got into the blue Mini they had arrived in and they drove to the home of Yarick and Terry, who he knew as Dave, to get some drugs.

Smale was dropped off while the other two went to park the car, and he went to the door and knocked. When those inside didn’t answer he rang them on his mobile and waited to be let in.

While he waited he said Amoah and Mitchell arrived and they went to the rear of the house, at which point Amoah and Mitchell smashed down the door and he saw Amoah had a gun and Mitchell had a hammer. He said he then realised what was going to happen and he was very scared.

He said he could see Yarick firing an air rifle from inside the house and Amoah fired back whilst lying on the ground.

He said he wasn’t part of the plan to raid the house and had only gone because he thought they were just buying drugs. He said he considered Yarick and Terry his friends. He said at no time did he go in the house and played no part of what went on. He said both Amoah and Mitchell were wearing face coverings.

He [Yarick] wasn’t just my drug dealer he was a friend,” Smale told the court. “As was Terry. I had no intention to hurt them.”

He added: “I didn’t have a life, I was a drug user. I didn’t have a life at all.” He said his life was 100% better since he had been in custody as he wasn’t taking drugs anymore.

He said he had known Amoah for ten years and had found drugs for him, whilst Mitchell he’d only met a few times.

Following the raid all three men got back in the car and drove off. Smale was later arrested by armed police after running out of a property in Harmony Close, Redruth with Amoah.

“Paul said: ’The police are here’,” said Smale. “He grabbed me and we ran towards the kitchen door and we went out onto a decking area. He let go of me and started running away. I started running away then I thought ‘What am I running for? I’ve done nothing wrong’. To be honest I was glad to be arrested.”

Amoah and Mitchell have elected not to give evidence in their defence.

The trial continues.