Murder accused Tomasz Bubrowski tells court how he drove killers to meet victim Sebastian Zuchlinski

Giving evidence before a jury at Bolton Crown Court, Tomasz Bubrowski claimed 39-year-old Mr Zuchlinski, who he described as his “best friend”, was involved in drug dealing.

Bubrowski told the court how he had known Mr Zuchlinski for seven or eight years after they met at a Polish house party. Mr Zuchlinski was also the partner of Bubrowski’s niece, Anna Bubrowska.

He added that four years ago Mr Zuchlinski recruited him to deal drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine, ecstasy and cannabis.

“Everything was arranged by Sebastian. He was giving me clients and telling me what to do and how to do it,” said Bubrowski, speaking through an interpreter.

He added that Mr Zuchlinski also asked him to drive people involved in drugs to and from meetings with him. Bubrowski said arrangements would be made using a mobile phone which would then be destroyed and thrown away.

Bubrowski, aged 39, of Cavendish Gardens, Bolton, also told how Mr Zuchlinski had problems with other people involved in the drug trade.

“It was mainly about turf over which many competitors would fight for,” he said.

“The main problem was that people were going on to deal on his turf and he was establishing who these people were and trying to establish where these people were. When he did find out he was calling boys out to help him deal with it.”

He said that sometimes this led to violence.

About a week before Mr Zuchlinski’s murder Bubrowski said his friend turned up at his house with some other men.

“He asked me to help him out in a fight that was going to happen,” said Bubrowski, who added that he replied that he would join him a few minutes later.

But he said that as he was driving towards Derby Street, Bolton, he heard police sirens and, in a phone call, Mr Zuchlinski said he was being arrested by police. So Bubrowski told the court that he turned his car around and headed home, throwing away a knife he had previously bought from B&Q in case he was stopped by police too.

On February 6, the day before his murder in Davenport Street, Bolton, Mr Zuchlinski was said to have visited Bubrowski and asked him to collect some people the following day and bring them to a meeting.

“I did not know who or how many people he would be meeting,” said Bubrowski.

Bubrowski agreed and told the court he spent February 6 moving possessions out of his Cavendish Gardens home and travelling around Bolton selling drugs until he received a phone call from a Polish speaking man he did not know and he agreed to collect him that evening outside the Lidl store in Farnworth.

“When I got close to the bus stop close to Lidl there were four people standing there,” said Bubrowski.

He said he then received a call from Mr Zuchlinski telling him to take the passengers to Vernon Street, Bolton.

He told the jury he had no warning of what was to happen until he started driving along Davenport Street.

“The three gentlemen behind in the car started putting on balaclavas on their faces,” he said.

‘I asked them “what are you doing guys?” then the one next to me took out a large kitchen knife and told me to shut up and drive.

“He pointed the knife towards me and he was holding it close to me. I was very scared. I wasn’t even thinking of something like that might happen. I didn’t know what was going on.”

He told the court he was suddenly told to stop, the three men in the back got out but the man with the knife in the front passenger seat stayed and warned him, “Don’t even think about getting out”.

He said he heard screaming coming from behind the car.

“It was very hard to get my head around it. I was quite paralysed. I couldn’t do anything,” he added.

“It was horrible. It was a horrible situation. I have seen many things in my life. This was very hard to describe.

“Now when I think about it, maybe I should have done something but it was difficult when it was happening and I had my seat belt on.”

Bubrowski denies murdering Mr Zuchlinski.

The trial continues.