TWO men have been cleared of firing a shotgun at a man in a busy Clacton street.

Elton Dsaine, 24, and Lee O’Sullivan, 29, hugged in the dock when the jury acquitted them both of all charges at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

The pair had been the subject of a two week trial accused of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and three counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

Mr O’Sullivan was also charged with dangerous driving.

The duo’s friends and family sitting in the court cheered and cried when the foreman read out the not guilty verdicts against all charges.

As they left the dock, both defendants thanked the jury.

During the trial, Chelmsford Crown Court heard takeaway driver Raymond Wilkerson’s Skoda had almost collided with Mr Dsaine’s Vespa scooter as two lanes went into one near roadworks in Clacton last November.

Mr Dsaine, of Agincourt Road, London, was accused of later calling friend Mr O’Sullivan, of Albert Street, London, who drove from Bethnall Green in London to Clacton, before getting into his Volkswagon Golf.

The prosecution said the Golf had then blocked the road in front of Mr Wilkerson’s car and Mr Dsaine had fired a shotgun at the car’s windscreen.

However, Mr Dsaine denied all charges saying the initial altercation with Mr Wilkerson had left him “panicked, scared and crying”.

Instead he said someone else had fired the gun.

His Honour Judge Gratwicke said: “The defendant said he was panicking and scared.

“He said the people in the Skoda were shouting but he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

“He said a young man swore and shouted at him so he backed away. He made a dash for his scooter and he said he was relieved.”

He added: “Dsaine said he started crying. He said he just wanted his friends.”