SOME of the charges have been dropped and a man has walked free from the dock as the Bradford Moor murder trial enters its fifth week.

The jury was directed on Tuesday by the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, to deliver not guilty verdicts on charges involving three of the defendants.

Tony Grant, 39, of Queens Road, Bradford, was cleared of attempted murder after Judge Durham Hall ruled that in Grant's case "the necessary minimum evidence to support the charge of attempted murder is not there".

Grant, along with co-accused Mohammed Nisar Khan and Nadeem Khan, was also cleared by the jury on the direction of the judge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by removing details of a Kia Sedona from the Motor Insurance Database on October 3 last year.

Judge Durham Hall said: "The charge is conspiracy, which is no more or less than an agreement, to remove the motor insurance details from a database of a Kia."

"I have come to the conclusion, and ruled, simply on the evidence that you have heard, that the removal from the database did not conceal the historic fact. It had no tendency to pervert the course of justice at all," he told the jury.

That was the single count alleged against Nadeem Khan, 35, of Gledhow Wood Road, Roundhay, Leeds, so he walked out of the dock ahead of the start of the defence case involving the remaining three defendants.

Mohammed Nisar Khan, 41, of Holme Lane, Tong, known as Meggy, and Grant, known as Granty, are still on trial accused of murdering Amriz Iqbal, known as Major, in Sandford Road, Bradford Moor, shortly after 1pm on October 3.

Khan is charged with attempting to murder Mr Iqbal’s friend, Adnan Ahmed, who was crossing the road at the same time.

Salman Ismail, 31, of Hollin Road, Shipley, Bradford, denies conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by trying to destroy CCTV evidence by fire and robbery at the Whitehall Petrol Station in Birkenshaw.

Mohammed Nisar Khan and Grant also plead not guilty to that charge.

None of the remaining three defendants will be giving evidence and nor will any other evidence be presented by their legal teams, barristers representing the three confirmed.

Wednesday will see the start of closing speeches, with Peter Moulson QC closing the Crown's case before Simon Csoka QC sets out the case for the defence of Mohammed Nisar Khan.

As ever, we will be covering proceedings in a live blog.

Timothy Raggatt QC, for Grant, and Rodney Ferm, for Ismail, will set out their cases in speeches on Thursday.

Mr Iqbal, 40, a father of three, of Curzon Road, Bradford Moor, suffered a fatal head injury when he was struck by a silver Kia Sedona. Mr Ahmed, 32, sustained a dislocated shoulder.

The trial continues.