A defence lawyer suggested men from St. George's were so scared of the Parkside Crew that they armed themselves with a gun.

The allegation was made by Jerome Lynch QC as he cross examined Ronnie Furbert, a witness to a shooting at the Royal Artillery Association club in the town early on April 4.

Mr. Furbert has told a jury that his friend from St. George's, Dwayne Signor, 29, shot Shawn Williams, 18, from Paget.

Mr. Williams suffered a bullet wound to his back that hit a kidney and punctured his colon.

Mr. Furbert alleged that the gun was originally brought to the club that night by Sandys resident Khyri Smith-Williams, 19, who had indicated concern that the Parkside Crew might be present.

Mr. Furbert has described the Parkside Crew as a group of people from the town area who are "despised" and do not get along with people from St. George's.

Both Signor and Smith-Williams are now on trial at Supreme Court facing a string of charges over the shooting.

However, Mr. Lynch, who represents Smith-Williams, alleged that the gun may have been in the possession of the St. George's crew prior to the shooting.

And he suggested that Mr. Furbert is trying to "stitch up" Smith-Williams by lying that he had the weapon.

Mr. Lynch got Mr. Furbert to admit, under cross examination, that he was involved in a "near riot" involving St. George's men and Parkside men after Cup Match last year.

Mr. Furbert acknowledged that he waved a bar stool around during that fracas.

"Is it the case that after the near riot at Cup Match in summer 2009, the St. George's crew were fearful of retaliation by Parkside?" inquired Mr. Lynch.

Mr. Furbert replied: "There wasn't no fear. Why would you fear another man?"

Mr. Lynch continued: "Well, you're a big fellow, I can see why you wouldn't fear another man, but a smaller man might want a gun in his hand."

He then asked the witness: "Was this a firearm held by your crew in case there was retaliation by Parkside?"

"No," said Mr. Furbert.

Mr. Lynch also quizzed the witness over his friend from St. George, Kyle Tannock, who was involved in the brawl at the Royal Artillery Association club.

Mr. Furbert agreed Mr. Tannock is the "boss man in St. George's" who he and his friends look up to and Mr. Tannock carries a knife around.

However, he denied Mr. Lynch's suggestion that Mr. Tannock also carries a gun.

"You've concocted a story to blame Khyri for having the gun" alleged Mr. Lynch.

"No," replied Mr. Furbert.

When Signor's lawyer Marc Daniels grilled Mr. Furbert, he alleged that Mr. Furbert actually took possession of the gun after the shooting.

Mr. Furbert agreed that he made off from the scene and joined his friends who'd also fled the club including Signor at nearby Lily Park.

"You said 'Dwayne, give me the gun,' didn't you?" alleged Mr. Daniels. "You took that gun and you ran off with Dwayne, didn't you?"

Mr. Furbert denied this.

"You knew something more than you told the Police. You knew that you had the gun," Mr. Daniels later suggested.

"I didn't have a gun," insisted the witness.

The jury has heard that the weapon has not been recovered.

Signor and Smith-Williams deny a string of firearms charges and the case continues.