A black-clad gunman opened fire on Raymond Troy (Yankee) Rawlins as he sat in a van outside his family's Court Street store, a jury heard.

The accused man, 22-year-old Anthony Swan, made off on a bike before leading Police on a high-speed chase, according to prosecutors.

Mr. Rawlins, 47, was not injured in the shooting on the morning of December 16, 2009, but died in a separate incident last month.

Swan went on trial at Supreme Court yesterday accused of a string of charges relating to the December incident, all of which he denies.

In his opening speech, prosecutor Carrington Mahoney alleged that Swan arrived at C & R Discount store on Court Street around 10.30 a.m., armed with a handgun.

The store is owned by Mr. Rawlins' father Raymond Burgess Sr., who was inside at the time with two other people.

Mr. Mahoney said Swan was wearing a black top, black sweatsuit bottoms with a white stripe, black sneakers, a black helmet with the visor pulled down and black gloves.

According to eyewitness Elroy Harvey, the gunman stood by the shop door and asked "where's he to?" before turning and opening fire on the van [see separate story].

"We're saying the accused wasn't interested in those in the store, came outside, and started to fire shots from the firearm in the direction north of Court Street, most in particularly on a van that was parked along Court Street close to the entrance of the store where Mr. Raymond Rawlins was seated in the passenger side," said the prosecutor.

"At the time, the accused also discharged at least one shot in that direction, and fired a few more shots before he turned and ran onto Elliott Street."

Shortly afterwards, a Police CCTV camera captured the image of a motorbike coming from Elliott Street with two people on it and turning north onto Princess Street. The passenger was wearing clothing that allegedly matched that of the shooter.

Ten to 15 minutes later, Police officers hunting the suspects came across Swan who was allegedly riding a bike similar to the one at the crime scene.

"He immediately, on seeing the Police, led them on a high-speed chase," said Mr. Mahoney.

The chase went from St. Monica's Road in Pembroke, through Orchard Grove and Orchard Lane, across a field by Victor Scott school and through a gap in the fence onto Parson's Road.

"He eventually crashed into a Police vehicle and he fell off the bike, tried to escape, and it took several policemen to subdue him," alleged the prosecutor.

"He was wearing the tracksuit bottoms with [a] white stripe, and we are saying he also had on a black helmet similar to the one that the shooter had on, and a few other things were found there that fell from the bike."

Swan, from Pembroke, is accused of possessing a gun and three bullets, unlawfully discharging the gun, and possessing it with intent to injure. He's further accused of shooting at Mr. Rawlins with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and aggravated vehicle-taking.

He denies the charges and the case continues.