Boy, 17, accused of killing Alan Garbutt with home made shot gun 'didn't think device would work'

A 17-year-old accused of killing a man with a home made shot gun has told a jury he never thought the device would work.

The youth, who cannot be named because of his age, denies murdering 62-year-old Alan Garbutt in Guisborough in August last year.

Teesside Crown Court has been told the teenager claims the shooting was an accident.

He has been giving evidence in court today, where he was assisted by an intermediary.

The 17-year-old began by describing his early life, describing how by the age of 11 or 12 he had begun committing robberies and using drugs.

He said by that point he stopped living with his mother because “she could not cope with him anymore”.

He told the court he had ended up living with, and working for, his alleged victim Mr Garbutt, when he was about 16.

The teenager described the work he did for him as “grafting”.

He explained this entailed cooking, packing and delivering drugs for the 62-year-old.

He told the court: “I would wake up and he would say are you ready for graft and I would say, 'yes I am.'”

The youth was then asked about the home made gun which the court was told “went off” the night Mr Garbutt died.

The teenager said it was a “slam gun” which looked like a “pipe thing”.

Quizzed about the device further he said: “I just thought it was a pipe. I never thought it would work.”

He denied ever loading it or ever previously holding it to Mr Garbutt’s forehead.

He said there was also a shotgun and a pistol inside the property, which was described as a “crack den”.

“The others looked like they fired but not that one,” he added.

He denies murder and the hearing continues.

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