A gun linked to a shooting incident in Salford was discovered more than a month later in a Sainsbury's bag hidden inside a sofa, a jury learned.

The shooting occurred on May 26, when a 20-year-old man, Samuel Adesanya, was shot in the chest in Little Hulton but survived. Three men, Tyler Harrison, 20; James Gregory, 20; and Jacob Humphreys, 21, are on trial accused of attempted murder.

During the proceedings at Manchester Crown Court, the prosecutor, David Temkin KC, noted that the firearm was found on June 28 at a property in Farnworth, close to the defendants' home. The location included two adjoining flats that shared a back garden, where police discovered two sofas in an outbuilding filled with junk.

Upon searching the sofas, officers found bags of cash and a Sainsbury’s bag containing a loaded self-loading pistol and live ammunition. “The firearm was loaded and ready to go,” Mr. Temkin stated, adding that ballistic tests confirmed it was the same weapon used in the shooting.

Mr. Temkin emphasized the significance of discovering the firearm for the ongoing investigation. Additionally, the jury heard that the day before the shooting, Humphreys allegedly sent a message regarding a car, stating he needed it for "literally a day" before setting it on fire, as indicated by an emoji he used.

Prosecutors claim that the men used a black Vauxhall Insignia to reach the shooting scene, which was later found on fire approximately thirty minutes afterward in a nearby residential area, suggesting the fire was deliberately set. Mr. Temkin pointed out the relevance of the message, asserting that it indicated Humphreys' involvement in the planned shooting.

All three defendants deny the attempted murder charges, as well as an alternative charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Proceeding.