THE jury in the travellers' shooting trial has seen three shotguns found near a York caravan site.

And they have heard an eyewitness describe how traveller Karl Gaskin allegedly drove up in a car, took a gun from his cousin Anthony Gaskin and shot traveller Robert James at close range on the James Street Caravan Site on May 10.

The victim's cousin Danny alleged that the gunman then ran to the door of a caravan where he "broke" the barrel.

He told the jury at York Crown Court he thought Karl Gaskin was loading the gun and as the gunman returned, he shouted "the police are here, the police are here".

"Were the police there?" asked Judge Paul Hoffman.

"No," replied the witness. "I was just shouting that to him to panic him."

Gaskin dropped the gun. Mr James alleged he saw a second gun in the hands of traveller John Hooton, who took both weapons away and disappeared between two wagons. He had neither gun with him when he reappeared a few minutes later.

Karl Gaskin, 29, then of James Street Caravan Site, and Hooton, 56, of Thistle Hill Caravan Park, Knaresborough, deny attempted murder.

Anthony Gaskin, 30, then of Diamond Street, The Groves, denies two charges of possessing a gun with intent to make another person to fear unlawful violence.

Hooton denies concealing a shotgun with intent to prevent the arrest of the Gaskins.

The jury were shown a single-barrelled and a double-barrelled shotgun that police found under a bridge over the Tang Hall beck at the entrance to the site on May 10 with a spent cartridge.

The jurors also saw a third shotgun in a vehicle as it left the site at 7.30pm with two men called Billy Wilson and James Farrell inside. Robert James was injured about an hour earlier.

Forensic scientist Phillip Rydeard said all the guns were in working order. The two found under the bridge had been fired, the third was "clean". The cartridge came from the single-barrelled gun under the bridge.

All three guns were .410 shotguns traditionally used for shooting rabbits or training youngsters to shoot.

Cross-examined by Paul Worsley QC, Karl Gaskin's barrister, he said all three were at least 30 years old and the single-barrelled gun from the bridge had a worn mechanism which meant that it could go off unexpectedly before the holder intended it to.

He could not say how recently the guns had been fired or cleaned.

The trial continues.

Updated: 08:25 Tuesday, November 13, 2001