A MAN accused of shooting dead a St Ann's teenager told a jury he could not remember where he was that day.

Rene Sarpong knew 16-year-old Brendon Lawrence as one of the children in the area.

Brendon died on February 19, 2002, after he was shot four times in his cousin's red Ford Fiesta XR2i.

Sarpong, 29, of Lamartine Street, St Ann's, denies his murder.

He was allegedly with an accomplice when they walked into Watkin Street, St Ann's, and made for the car. Brendon, of Sherwin Walk, was left for dead in the street and his attackers drove off in the Fiesta. The car was set alight in Westville Gardens, St Ann's, and the gun hidden in a prostitute's flat.

In his evidence at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday, Sarpong denied he had anything to do with an incident a week or two before Brendon was shot. The jury has heard a man called Benjamin Dawes allegedly took drugs from Brendon's cousin, Adrian Hall, and threatened him.

Sarpong also refuted a suggestion that he decided he wanted to teach Mr Hall a lesson by taking his car and Brendon, who had been waiting for his cousin, was not willing to back down and was shot.

Orlando Pownall QC, defending Sarpong, asked: "Were you in anyway involved in the death of Brendon Lawrence?"

He replied: "No".

He was asked about a hooded top, tracksuit bottoms and trainers recovered from the Fiesta with components of his DNA found on them. At this time he said he would wear sports trousers when he went to the gym or to play football and sometimes he would borrow kit.

If Sarpong had clothes with him when he stayed at his friends, he would leave them at their house.

An expert had concluded that the DNA findings on parts of the clothes and a trainer were exactly what she would expect if Sarpong were the "habitual wearer" of the items.

The trainers recovered from the car, which were a size eight, "wouldn't have been able to fit me," he said. Sarpong, wearing a UK size 10 trainer in court, said he would not have borrowed a pair of size eights.

He was unable to explain his DNA on the tongue of one trainer and denied he had ever worn them.

Prosecutor Gregory Dickinson QC asked him where he was at 7pm on February 19, 2002, when Brendon was shot.

"I can't remember where I was that day," he replied. Co-accused Gary Brown, 45, of Hunloke Road, Chesterfield, denies assisting an offender by getting rid of the gun.

Proceeding