Murder victim Aquil Richardson was shot at close range by a gun held six inches or less from his chin, a jury heard yesterday.

Gunshot residue linked to the scene was also found on clothing items allegedly worn by the culprits.

The evidence came during the trial of the two men accused of murdering the 30-year-old on Boxing Day 2007 Antoine Anderson, 31, and Philip Bradshaw, 26.

Supreme Court heard from three US experts who examined clothing allegedly worn by the pair that night, plus bullets and cases found by investigators.

According to prosecutors, the men arrived by motorbike at the murder scene in Camp Hill, Southampton. Bradshaw is said to have been the pillion passenger, wearing a jacket with a fur-trimmed hood he'd borrowed from a family friend.

According to witnesses at the scene, the pillion passenger shot at a group of men which included Mr. Richardson, 30, and Lavar Smith, 25, before dismounting and shooting Mr. Richardson twice in the head while he was on the ground.

Bradshaw and Anderson deny murder and wounding.

Family friend Malika Gumbs told the trial last week that Bradshaw borrowed her jacket with a fur hood that night, and rode off on a bike with Anderson. She said when the men returned, Anderson was holding a ski mask in his hand.

Taking the stand for the Crown yesterday was Dennis McGuire, from Florida, who is a forensics expert and crime-scene examiner. He looked at four bullets and four bullet cases.

The court has previously heard how investigators collected a spent bullet and four bullet cases from the shooting scene. Two bullets were found in Mr. Richardson's head during an autopsy.

Another bullet has been described as recovered during surgery although it has not been specified whether this was surgery on Lavar Smith who was shot twice in the leg.

Mr. McGuire said the bullets were 9 mm Ruger bullets, and microscopic analysis showed they had all been fired from the same gun barrel.

The bullet cases had been damaged apparently by acid or some other chemical and he could not tell whether or not they came from the same gun.

He told the jury the cases were manufactured in Russia.

Mr. McGuire explained that residue gunpowder can end up on the firer's clothing.

He showed the jury a photograph of a gunshot entry wound under Mr. Richardson's chin, which had a dark pattern caused by gunshot residue in the surrounding area.

He said this demonstrated that: "The muzzle of the firearm was held very close to the chin probably within six inches and when the bullet was discharged, this powder went with the bullet. If you had been ten feet away, this wouldn't be here."

Next up was Pennsylvania-based materials analyst Alfred (AJ) Schwoeble.

He explained how gunshot residue can sometimes result in tiny particles on hands, clothing and surfaces in the immediate vicinity of a gun being fired.

Investigators can check for gunshot residue with small adhesive stamps.

Stamps in the current case were taken by crime-scene examiner Janice Johnson from clothing seized by investigators and checks conducted on a car parked at Bradshaw's home.

These were sent to Mr. Schwoeble for analysis, along with residue samples from the four bullet cases.

Listing his findings, he told the jury he found gunshot residue particles and / or particles consistent with gunshot residue on:

• The black fur-hooded jacket Ms Gumbs claims Bradshaw wore that night. This was found by another expert, Candy Zuleger, to have her DNA on it.

• Samples taken from a car at Bradshaw's Curving Avenue, Pembroke, residence.

• The blue jeans from Anderson's home, which were also found by Ms Zuleger to have his DNA on them.

• A pair of black pants seized from Anderson's home.

• A pair of white Nike sneakers seized from Bradshaw's home

The blue jeans showed up the most residue, while the results from the masks found at Anderson's home were inconclusive.