ONE of the men accused of setting up a violent burglary in Westhoughton may have done it "by accident", a court heard.

Wayne Duckworth supplied Shaun Gastall with the phone number of Craig Lister, a friend of his since they grew up close by in Deane.

Duckworth, aged 33, is on trial accused of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, alongside Raymond Dallimore, aged 59, of Church Street, Westhoughton.

They are accused of arranging an attack in which three men burst into the house of Brian and Enid Butler, in Dicconson Lane, Westhoughton, at about 10.30pm on March 28, with one armed with an axe and another with a large knife.

The court heard that the men demanded money from the couple, and made off with firearms, ammunition and cash.

Bolton Crown Court heard that Duckworth thought Gastall was offering a job to Lister, who has previously been described as a "violent, professional criminal" who is nicknamed Bin Laden.

He said Gastall had called him, asking if Lister was looking for a job, leading to Duckworth calling Lister several times and eventually texting him Gastall's number.

Duckworth insisted he had no idea the "job" was to commit aggravated burglary.

He said: "I might have done it by accident but I did not give know this was going to happen.

"There is no way I would have given Craig that number whatsoever."

Lister was arrested by police soon after the raid, while he was living on a canal boat owned by Duckworth.

Duckworth said he initially thought Lister "had killed somebody" when he saw police next to his boat, because some people were diving nearby.

After Gastall was arrested and released on bail, Duckworth said he came to him and told him to get rid of his phone.

The court heard that Duckworth and partner Lisa had visited Gastall at home on the evening of the alleged raid.

They left abruptly, after Gastall said he "had to go", something Duckworth called "strange", but had to return when he realised he had dropped his phone in Gastall's car when they had gone to a shop to buy beer.

Duckworth said: "I went to him, 'why, I have done nothing wrong?'"

Several months later he was arrested himself and said he tried to hide his phone because he panicked when police arrived.

Duckworth told the court: "I started tearing it apart and put it on the bed.

"I knew the police were outside because Lisa shouted up.

"I just panicked. To this day I don't know why I did that."

The court heard that Duckworth had been in regular contact with Gastall and Lister, from the evidence of mobile phone cell-site analysis, but other than the job query, he said the calls would have mostly been either social or to enquire about buying cannabis.

Dallimore is accused of organising the raid, which happened at about 10.30pm on March 28 last year.

Dallimore owed Mr Butler £42,000 after giving him a loan which was not paid back.

He is said to have called solicitors trying to reclaim the money on Mr Butler's behalf on the day of the burglary in a "vile mood".

Duckworth, along with Shaun Gastall, is accused of contacting Craig Lister to arrange the job.

Dallimore and Duckworth both deny conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary.

Gastall, aged 35, of Maple Crescent, Leigh, and Lister, aged 33, of Hale Road, Liverpool, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary at an earlier hearing.

The trial continues.