A MAN spotted two masked figures behind a fence moments before a woman was gunned down metres away from him in a garden, a court heard.

But Craig Parslow insisted he did not tell the police about seeing the masked men that night because he was scared it would have repercussions for his family.

Kerry Reeves,26, was shot in the face at close range in a garden in Abingdon and heroin dealers Billy Johnson and Charles Noble both deny her murder.

Mr Parslow had been out on the night of November 3 with Miss Reeves and Craig Pitts, who were armed with baseball bats and looking for the two drug dealers.

Giving evidence at Oxford Crown Court yesterday[may13] Mr Parslow said Miss Reeves heard voices down an alleyway behind Thornhill Walk and they went to investigate.

He added: "I went to the left and Craig and Kerry went right.

"I saw masked people pop up, they popped over the fence.

"I saw two heads, one had a red mask, one had a blue mask, that's all I could see."

Mr Parslow told the jury of seven women and five men how he heard a bang, then turned to see Miss Reeves lying on the ground bleeding.

Miss Reeves was rushed to the John Radcliffe Hospital but died two days later.

Ali Naseem Bajwa QC accused Mr Parslow of inventing the story about seeing the masked men after hearing rumours flying around Abingdon after the shooting.

He added: "Everyone was talking about this. Did the suggestion about the two men wearing masks come from you as part of the Chinese whispers or was it given to you?"

Mr Parslow insisted he had not told the police on the night of the shooting because he had wanted to protect his family, but had told officers later when he realised how serious Miss Reeves' condition was.

He added: "I did see two men in masks, but I didn't want to get involved.

"I have got two kids and I didn't want them to get involved. I was protecting my kids."

Jurors were told Miss Reeves had been shot through the left cheek at a range of six to 10 feet with a weapon consistent with a shotgun.

Prosecutor Mark Fenhalls QC told the jury on Monday how Johnson and 21-year-old Noble had both ambushed and shot Miss Reeves with a sawn-off shotgun.

Johnson, of Ripon Court, Corby, Northants., and Noble, of Kempton Avenue, Northolt, Ealing, both deny murder.

Mr Fenhalls told the court there was a history of violence between the two groups, with Mr Pitts attacking Johnson in 2014, and himself being attacked by unknown men armed with a knife and baseball bat a week before the shooting.

The court also heard 20-year-old Johnson had been going out with Miss Reeves’ ex-girlfriend Nicole Blackman after the women’s relationship had ended “badly” two years ago.

Jurors were told Miss Reeves, Mr Pitts and Mr Parslow had gone to an acquaintance's house earlier that night where they were told Johnson, known as CJ, had a gun.

The trial continues.