The man accused of shooting Elle Edwards told a jury he took "all my clothes" to an associate's house when he discovered he was a wanted man.
Connor Chapman, 23, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of firing 12 shots at a group stood in front of the Lighthouse Pub, Wallasey Village, shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve last year.
"Wholly innocent" Elle, 26, was struck twice in the back of the head by bullets from a Skorpion sub-machine gun. Five men, including alleged "intended targets" Kieron Salkeld and Jake Duffy, were also injured but survived.
READ MORE: Elle Edwards latest: Live updates as Connor Chapman enters witness box
Today Chapman, who claims he was at home in Houghton Road, Woodchurch, all night and denies any involvement in the shooting, was cross-examined on what happened to clothing he was recorded wearing before Elle was murdered.
Nigel Power, KC, prosecuting, asked about a pair of trainers he was seen wearing on December 23 at a Shell petrol station, on a journey from Wirral to Rhyl that Chapman told the jury was to help a friend collect drug money.
Chapman replied: "The shoes haven’t been recovered. The police have made a point of these clothes. Pay close attention to the garments. None of my clothing has been recovered. The shoes, if they haven’t been recovered, I don’t know where they are."
Mr Power pressed him on where the trainers were. Chapman said: "You know where I put them. All my clothing. If I’ve gone to somebody’s house and said 'I’ve been kicked out my house, can I put my clothes'. I went to somebody’s house and said can I put my clothing... the prosecution know who that is."
Chapman told the court he was "not prepared to say" whose house he took his clothes to because the name might be reported on the news, but he told Mr Power: "You know where the clothes went. You have arrested the person."
Mr Power told Chapman a reporting restriction imposed by the court meant the press were not able to publish the woman's name, at which point the defendant confirmed she was a friend's girlfriend.
Asked what he did with the clothes, Chapman said: "I think it was, it was definitely in January. I went back to the house and got all my stuff. I knew the police would be going there. I put my stuff in a Christmas rucksack and said I’d been kicked out my house. I knew I was wanted but nobody knew I was wanted."
Chapman confirmed he took "every piece of clothing I could carry". Mr Power asked why he moved the clothes, and Chapman said: "I wasn’t prepared to let them [the police] take everything I’d gained in the last six months. I didn't think I was getting rid of evidence."
Chapman said he told the woman to "keep hold" of the clothes, but suggested she may have got rid of them when she saw news reports announcing he had been charged with murder.
In another exchange, Chapman accepted he had "seen firearms before" but denied ever having seen or handled a Skorpion sub-machine gun. Mr Power asked: "You know people who have guns?”
Chapman replied: "Yeah, I would say yeah."
Chapman - of Houghton Road in Woodchurch - denies Elle's murder, attempting to murder Kieran Salkeld and Jake Duffy, wounding with intent against Liam Carry and Harry Loughran, assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Nicholas Speed and possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
Alongside him in the dock is 20-year-old Thomas Waring, of Private Drive in Barnston, who has pleaded not guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and handling stolen goods. The trial continues.
