A former national schoolboy champion boxer accused of conspiring to murder a man he believed shot him, ending his career, has admitted he wanted revenge but denied planning to murder him.

The jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday heard James Fletcher, 26, of Grove View Farm, Pudsey, was shot in Holme Wood, Bradford, in June 2007, and rumours spread that Mohammed Nissar Khan – known as Meggy – carried out the attack.

Mr Khan was shot in the stomach in August 2007 as part of what the prosecution alleges was a plot by Fletcher and co-conspirators to exact revenge.

The attack on Fletcher was said to have followed a street fight a few years earlier between Fletcher and Mr Khan.

When asked by his barrister Susan Klonin whether there was bad feeling between the pair after the fight, Fletcher said: “No, whenever we saw each other he was always alright.”

The prosecution alleged that Fletcher, his uncle Christopher Fletcher, Raymond Daniels, and others, hired a hitman to kill Mr Khan in Dobkiln Lane, Bingley, on August 20, 2007.

The attempt on his life failed and he suffered a perforated colon and lacerated liver and was detained in hospital for more than two weeks. Miss Klonin asked Fletcher whether he planned to “... go back and show Meggy.” Fletcher replied: “Yes, my career was gone.”

Miss Klonin said: “And you wanted revenge?”

Fletcher replied: “You could say that, yes.”

Fletcher said about speaking to his uncle Christopher: “I told him I was upset about it. I said I wanted to cause him some grief – some sleepless nights like I had had.

“I was intending to smash his cars up.”

He said he had gone with his uncle to damage the property on March 26 last year, but denied that the pair had guns with them and that he intended to murder Mr Khan.

Miss Klonin asked: “Did you ever go looking for Meggy again?”

“No,’’ replied Fletcher.

The trial continues.