Anuj Bidve Boxing Day murder: killer 'smirked as he shot student' The gunman smirked or laughed and ran off. He told the jury that Stapleton had pleaded guilty to his manslaughter three weeks ago but continues to deny murder. The defence are likely to call expert psychological and psychiatric evidence in the trial, scheduled to last up to four weeks. Mr Cummings added: "I will ask you to keep in mind as we go through evidence in this trial is that Kiaran Stapleton's eventual admission that he is the killer came at an advanced stage of proceedings, and only after a significant body of evidence had already been gathered against him." The jury was told Stapleton made no admissions when he was first interviewed as a suspect. But after being charged with murder and as time progressed he admitted he was the person who shot and killed Mr Bidve, the prosecutor said. Mr Bidve was staying at a hotel in Salford with seven fellow Indian students and one Pakistani student. They arrived on Christmas Eve and at about 11.30pm the next day the girls in the group decided they wanted to go shopping in the Boxing Day sales, Mr Cummings said. They set off some time after midnight to get a place in the queues but did not know the area and used a GPS phone to guide them. Their route took them along Ordsall Lane in the direction of Regent Road. Walking in groups of two and three, they became aware of two males who were walking in the opposite direction. "As the two males got nearer to them, one of them crossed the road diagonally in their direction, leaving the other male alone on the far side," said the prosecutor. The court heard that after one of the group told him it was 1.30am, Mr Bidve was shot. The student was taken to hospital and later certified dead. Mr Bidve's friends gave descriptions of the gunman and the second male, Ryan Holden, who was with Stapleton, and officers trawled CCTV footage from the area. Holden was arrested on December 28 and Stapleton the day after. Holden told officers he was afraid for his own safety and that of his family, but after being given reassurances began to answer questions, Mr Cummings told the jury, and his status changed from suspect to prosecution witness. Holden told police his cousin, Chelsea Holden, had been in a long-term relationship with Stapleton and they had a child together but had split up. In the hours before the shooting, Stapleton and Holden spent Christmas night with friends "chilling" and having a drink. But at one point someone mentioned Ms Holden had slept with another man while she and Stapleton were living together and the defendant was angry. He said something like "If I see him, I'll kill him," the court heard. Around midnight the pair left the house and went to get some food from a local McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken shop at the top of Ordsall Lane just as Mr Bidve and his party walked up the same stretch of road. "Their path was about to cross that of Kiaran Stapleton and Ryan Holden," Mr Cummings said. Both the food shops were closed and Holden told police they "decided to call it a night" and head to their homes on the Ordsall estate. But, Mr Cummings told the jury, as the two men walked down Ordsall Lane, Stapleton said to his friend: "Let me put your hat on." Stapleton took the hat and put it on. Holden said he then noticed a group of people who were "dark-skinned" on the opposite side of the road. They were "not dressed like Salford people" and "seemed to be having a laugh," the court heard. Mr Cummings continued: "As they drew almost level with this group, Kiaran Stapleton said to Ryan Holden 'Wait here a minute.' Kiaran Stapleton then walked across the road. He couldn't hear anything that was said but he saw Kiaran Stapleton raise his arm and make a gesture as though he was asking the time. He, Kiaran Stapleton, moved back a little and Ryan Holden again saw Kiaran Stapleton raise an arm, he couldn't remember if it was the same arm, stretch it out, as if he was going to shoot and then Ryan Holden heard a loud shot. He also heard a lot of screaming and then Kiaran Stapleton ran back towards him, shouting 'Run!' - but he was already running, he said. Ryan Holden says that he did not know before the shot was fired that Kiaran Stapleton had a gun. The pair ran through the Ordsall Estate using back alleys and short cuts to get to Stapleton's house at 15 Regent Square. They went straight to the gunman's room at the top of the house. Holden was "panicking" but Stapleton told him to "chill the f*** out" or "shut the f*** up," followed by "don't fold on me," the jury heard. Stapleton took a shower and told Holden to do the same, after which Holden's own clothes had vanished and a new set provided for him. Holden's bag that he had with him on the night also disappeared, the court heard.