A MAN has been spared prison after helping his friend to hide two weapons in the aftermath of a crossbow shooting.

Kirk Gould, 42, was captured on CCTV driving away from the scene of the shooting, which unfolded in a car park off East Street, Colchester, in September last year.

Ipswich Crown Court previously heard Delroy Mairah, 40, advanced on a resident of a neighbouring flat wielding a one-handed crossbow and an axe.

The court was told he shot his victim with a small metal tactical crossbow, causing a minor injury.

He was jailed for three years and four months.

READ MORE: Pictured: The crossbow thug who shot neighbour over false allegation

At the same court yesterday, prosecutor Samantha Wright said: “After firing the crossbow, also having been armed with an axe, Mr Mairah gave the axe and crossbow to Mr Gould, placing them in the footwell of Mr Gould’s van and asking him to dispose of them.”

The court heard Gould later made a statement to police saying Mairah had “gone back into the building with the weapons”, but this account was contradicted by the CCTV evidence.

Gould was arrested at his home, then making “significant comments” to police in interview.

He told officers he could give them the contact number of the person who had the weapons.

The crossbow and axe have never been recovered.

In a prepared statement, Gould told the police he had recently met up with friend Mairah, who had been depressed because of a death in the family.

He said they agreed to meet up for a drink and when he arrived, he witnessed the assault unfold.

Gould told police Mairah threw the crossbow and axe into his van and he “didn’t know what to do”.

Reading the statement, Ms Wright said: “He thought it would be dangerous to leave Mr Mairah with the weapons so he drove away, thinking that was the safer thing to do.

“He said in the prepared statement he was scared and shocked about the incident.”

The court was told Gould, of Plume Avenue, Colchester, has 12 convictions for 15 offences, but has remained out of trouble since 2006.

In mitigation, the court heard he had driven the two items “approximately 20 minutes away” to Mairah’s partner, “where they remained”.

The court was told Gould had encouraged Mairah to hand himself in and had merely made “an error in judgement”.

He admitted a charge of assisting an offender.

Recorder Richard Atchley said: “Those weapons had been used in an assault. You removed them, it must be said, with the intention to impede the prosecution of Mr Mairah.

“He had shot someone with the crossbow and you didn’t know how badly he was injured.

“You still allowed those weapons to be placed in your vehicle and drove off with them.

“The weapons have not been recovered, I don’t blame you for that further than your actions because you passed them on to someone else, who has not brought them forward."

He said Gould is in a “position of responsibility” within his family, supporting his children and partner.

The judge accepted the incident was “spur of the moment”.

“You've certainly turned the corner in a very big way, given the excellent character references which have been produced by a number of people,” he said.

Gould was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

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