An alleged Cowley Road shooter will not appear before a crown court until October.
Emman Riasat, 21, was due before Oxford Crown Court this afternoon for a plea and trial preparation hearing. He is said by prosecutors to have shot a man in the shoulder on the east Oxford road on July 24.
But Judge Ian Pringle QC was told that Riasat had not attended court from HMP Bullingdon, where he is currently on remand.
His counsel, Stephen Bailey, asked the judge for a six week adjournment for the service of the prosecution evidence and so he could go through the papers with his client.
In a reference to the barristers’ strike, currently affecting all Legal Aid-funded cases, he said the longer adjournment would be ‘preferable given the current climate’.
The judge provisionally fixed the trial for January 30. The case is expected to last between four to five days.
Riasat, of Outram Road, Cowley, will attend court for a further case management hearing at 2pm on October 7. He is expected to attend court in person on that date and will enter his pleas.
When he appeared before the magistrates’ court last month, he had been charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. No plea was taken as the charge was indictable-only, meaning it was so serious a plea could only be taken at the crown court.
Last month, police said the shooting took place at around 6.45pm on Sunday, July 24.
Cowley Road was closed off for more than two-and-a-half hours while police recovered a black 2007-plate Vauxhall Corsa, which had damage to its front bumper.
The alleged victim, who was shot in the shoulder, was taken to hospital but had been discharged by the Monday morning.
On the Sunday night, residents described their shock at seeing the heavy police presence on the road.
One woman on Crown Street, who asked not to give her name, said: “It’s very shocking to hear of something like this happening on the street.”
Another man, 30, told the Oxford Mail: “It’s a bizarre Cowley Road experience. It’s not something you expect to see in Oxford.”
That sense of shock continued into the following day. City councillor Chris Jarvis, who represents St Mary’s ward, said: "While events like these are of course disturbing, Oxford remains a safe place, and these kinds of things are incredibly rare. The emergency services were quickly on hand to handle the situation and ensure people are safe.”
Nay Aung, who lived on the road 14 years before moving to Headington and still owns Honest Stationery in Cowley Road, said: “It is really crazy.”
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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.
To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk
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