A FATHER-OF-THREE today told a jury he had nothing to do with the street shooting of a known local drug dealer.

Waqar Parvez, who has served a two year prison sentence for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, said he had put his criminal past behind him to focus on his family.

After his release from jail in 2008, he moved away from Girlington, Bradford, and his old associates.

He told how he ran up an £8,000 debt to the victim of the shooting, Asif Khan, when he was addicted to Class A drugs but was managing to pay it back.

Parvez is on trial at Bradford Crown Court denying conspiracy with others unknown to murder Khan, and an alternative offence of conspiracy to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent.

Khan, who is serving four and a half years imprisonment for drugs supplying offences, was shot through the leg by a gunman, probably armed with a Glock 9mm pistol, at about 7.30pm on January 6, 2013.

Parvez, 32, of Higher Downs, Fairweather Green, Bradford, is accused of persuading Khan to attend a rendezvous point after dark so that he could be shot and killed.

The Crown's case is that Khan was waiting in a car in Thorn Street, Girlington, Bradford, for Parvez to bring him money to reduce the debt.

But Parvez told the jury he had arranged for Khan to collect the money from a house in Duckworth Terrace.

He was waiting for him to arrive when Khan rang, shouting and screaming that he had been shot.

Parvez said his family had helped him to pay off all but £2,500 of the money he owned Khan.

His barrister, Nick Worsley, asked him: "Did you that night meet him in his car?"

Parvez replied: "No."

Mr Worsley said: "Did you have anything to do with anyone opening fire and shooting at his car?"

Parvez again replied: "No."

Cross-examined by Jonathan Sharp, for the prosecution, Parvez said he knew Khan was a drug dealer in Girlington.

"There's loads of drug dealers just like him. It doesn't mean that everybody is going to get together and shoot him," Parvez said.

"He is selling drugs. There could be people out there wanting to hurt him. I am not his only victim."

Parvez said he did not know which way Khan was coming to the house that night or what car he was driving.

"I did call him on the phone. There's nothing else to it. I didn't call him to that street," he said.

The jury was expected to retire to consider its verdicts later today.