by Alex Wellman A man accused of gunning down his victim in a barbershop told police he was baffled why he was named a suspect, a court heard. Richard Osborne, 28, of Jeffries House, Brett Crescent, Stonebridge, said he only heard about

by Alex Wellman

A man accused of gunning down his victim in a barbershop told police he was 'baffled' why he was named a suspect, a court heard.

Richard Osborne, 28, of Jeffries House, Brett Crescent, Stonebridge, said he only heard about the murder of Wayne Freckleton when his mother told him.

Mr Freckelton, 25, from the Church End Estate, was shot in the head and killed as he waited in Ike's barbers in Acton Lane, Harlesden, on April 25 2008.

Prosectuors allege that Mr Freckleton was murdered by Osborne and Femi Forde, 24, of Harlesden Gardens, Harlesden, in revenge for a double killing in 2002.

Had he not been killed, Mr Freckleton would have been arrested for the killing of Selorm Gbesemete, 21, of Stonebridge, and Mohamed Korneh, 21, of Croydon, at the Tudor Rose nightclub in Southall in December 2002.

In his police interview, Osborne said he had never heard of Ike's barbershop, did not know where it was and was blamed for everything after he went to jail in 2005.

He said: "I'm baffled. I am finding out who killed my man, they are mentioning Richie. Everything that happens, it's Richie.

"My whole life's f***ed now. I hear this guy's got shot and everybody's calling my name.

"My mum told me - how embarrassing that must feel. I even told my probation officer."

Forde, Osborne, Marcus Siyum, 19, of Burns Road, Harlesden and Antoine Richards, 18, of Hayes, Middlesex, all deny murder.

Jamal Smith, 27, of Colchester, Essex, denies two counts of assisting an offender.

The trial continues.

alex.wellman@archant.co.uk