A Bradford house was sprayed with bullets from an assault rifle in a targeted attack in the middle of the night, a jury heard.

Sixteen shots were fired at the property in Hill Top Road, Thornton, and three more struck a BMW car belonging to the householder, Bradford Crown Court was told.

On trial denying any involvement in the shooting are Michael Webster, 27, of Hill Crest, Swillington, Leeds; Byron Kiloh, 19, of Broadstone Way, Holme Wood, Bradford, and a boy of 15, who cannot be named because of his age.

All three defendants deny possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron said: “In the early hours of the morning of October 20, 2017, shortly after 2am, all was quiet in Hill Top Road, Thornton. The silence was broken by the smashing of glass and, shortly afterwards, the sound of gunfire.”

The jury was told that a nearby resident saw a VW Golf and a motorcycle speeding away from the scene.

The house had been sprayed with bullets but the occupiers, Paul Serrant and Sophie Holmes, were upstairs and unharmed.

Mr Hendron said that at least 20 military grade bullets were discharged at the front door, a window and the BMW.

The bullets passed through the front door, down the living room and into the kitchen, where they lodged in cupboards and drawers.

Miss Holmes’ blue Vauxhall Corsa, parked nearby, had its windscreen smashed with a brick or stone, the court was told.

Neighbours spoke of hearing the sound of rapid shooting.

One man said he counted up to 20 shots of semi-automatic gunfire and heard a high powered motorcycle racing away.

Mr Hendron alleged the three defendants were involved with others in a plan to lure Mr Serrant out of the house by breaking the car window.

The court heard that Webster had been in a relationship with Miss Holmes and took it badly when it ended.

CCTV images showed the Golf and a motorcycle, with a rider and a pillion passenger, approaching the Thornton area ‘in tandem’.

The prosecution was unable to say if the person who fired the gun was in the car or on the bike, Mr Hendron said. The weapon was never recovered by the police.

It was alleged that Webster had the gun, or aided and abetted the person with the weapon, while the two teenage defendants provided support.

Webster said he was in Hill Top Road earlier that night to check on the welfare of Miss Holmes. He knew nothing of the shooting and had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Kiloh said he was at home with his aunt and uncle on the other side of Bradford. The first he knew of the shooting was when he saw reports of it in the media.

The boy, who was 14 at the time, said he was in Hill Top Road earlier that night when a brick was thrown at the Corsa but he had no involvement with the shooting.

The trial continues.