The trial of two men charged with a home invasion that left an alleged accomplice with a gunshot wound continued yesterday with the court hearing one defendant’s police interview.

Umdae Woolridge and Josef Smith have both denied charges of aggravated burglary and using a firearm to commit an indictable offence in connection to the incident, which occurred on March 14, 2014.

A third man, Taariq Clarke, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the same charges on the basis that he did not know a firearm was to be used in the incident, but failed to withdraw when the weapon was produced.

Clarke himself was reportedly shot during the incident, with a bullet passing through his left forearm.

Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Smith was the second robber involved in the incident, while Mr Woolridge masterminded the plot.

As the trial continued yesterday, the jury were shown a police interview with Mr Woolridge recorded days after the robbery

In the interview, the defendant denies any knowledge of the incident, but told officer that he had driven an injured Clarke to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

He said that on the evening of the robbery, he was riding along North Shore Road in Hamilton Parish when he noticed Clarke running in the street clutching his arm to his chest.

“It was a big white church,” he said. “I don’t know what it’s called. I got a little across the church and I saw him running, holding his arm.”

He said Clarke told him he had been shot and asked him to take him to the hospital. Mr Woolridge told the officers that he couldn’t remember what route he took, but that he went along North Shore Road and likely turned onto Middle Road before reaching the hospital.

When he got to the hospital, he said he checked Clarke in, made sure he was all right, gave staff the contact information for Clarke’s family and then left.

“I went to change my clothes because there was blood on the back of my sweat top and went to check one of my ace girls,” he said.

Police later questioned Mr Woolridge about whether had stopped anywhere on the way to the hospital, telling the defendant that a brown jacket had been recovered with what appeared to be a bullet hole and a “sizeable” pool of blood.

Mr Woolridge responded: “We didn’t stop. I don’t know what happened with that jacket but I never stopped. I was on the back of the bike screaming that he was going to die.

“I was just riding the bike and trying to get him to the hospital as soon as possible.”

He also told officers that he had visited the home where the robbery took place earlier that day, explaining that he was collecting $100 from someone.

“He came down to me. I got my money and left,” he said. “He owes me money so I go almost every Friday or Thursday when he gets his paid to pick up my money.”

Asked directly if he had been involved in the robbery, he said no, adding: “That’s my friend. I wouldn’t do that to him. I wouldn’t go up there and try to rob those people.”

Detectives then told Mr Woolridge that Clarke had claimed he was shot while riding on the back of Mr Woolridge’s bike in the Vesey Street area. Mr Woolridge responded that he had no comment.

During the interview he said he would be willing to help officers collect the clothes he had been wearing on the day of the incident, although he had thrown away the sweat shirt because of the blood stains. Detective Constable Shawn Kelly confirmed that Mr Woolridge did arrange to have the clothes given to police.

The court also heard several written statements regarding the incident. In one, Police Constable Tavares Douglas recalled a conversation between another officer and Clarke in the hospital.

Pc Douglas said that when he was first asked his name, Clarke told the officer that he was Umdae Woolridge. After the officer said he knew that was not true, Clarke gave his actual name, saying that Mr Woolridge had been the person to bring him to hospital.

Detective Sergeant Jason Smith meanwhile told the court that Clarke was sentenced to 7½ years in prison for his role in the robbery. Clarke received a discount in his sentence due to both his early guilty plea and the assistance he provided police, which included providing a statement detailing not only his involvement but the involvement of both Mr Woolridge and Mr Smith.

The trial continues.