The fatal shooting of a drug dealer in Bradford triggered the downfall of a multi-million pound distribution ring, a Court was told.

Pudsey body-builder Philip Smith had bought around £1 million worth of cannabis and Ecstasy from a "Liverpool connection" before being gunned down in a Tong lay-by last February, a jury heard.

Bradford Crown Court heard how the same Merseyside dealer, Paul Haukedahl, also supplied drugs worth "several million pounds" to a separate operation running from a Little Germany gym - which in turn distributed them across the north of England.

Roger Thomas, QC, prosecuting, said a man will stand trial accused of murdering Smith later this year.

His death proved to be the downfall of the drugs enterprise led by former bouncer Nigel Sharp, pictured, who ran the Heartbeat Fitness Centre in Upper Parkgate where he employed ex-bouncer and friend Dale Hooson as manager.

Mr Thomas added: "Sharp and Hooson not only worked together in the gym but also ran a ring or chain of drugs supply."

Police eventually seized a "ledger" of their accounts detailing drug sales under street slang such as "soap, sweets, fast and white", said Mr Thomas.

He added: "The ledger or notebook shows a sizeable amount of drugs supply running into several million pounds."

The burly pair had employed another city doorman, Gary Padgett, to ferry huge amounts of drugs back from Liverpool, regularly stopping off on the return journey to drop consignments with customers from Staffordshire and Halifax.

Padgett also collected up to 50kg of cannabis and 40,000 Ecstasy tablets at a time for his old friend Smith, who eventually undercut Sharp and Hooson's prices and began supplying to their Staffordshire associate, Stephen Kellsall.

Mr Thomas said when Kellsall failed to make an £18,000 payment, Haukedahl and his "enforcer" John McGinn, held Padgett responsible and began making death threats to him and his girlfriend Lucy Madge.

He said shortly afterwards, Philip Smith was found shot twice in the head in the Tong Lane lay-by and added: "It was his death which was to be the catalyst of bringing this drugs organisation to the police."

Mr Thomas stressed the killing was completely unconnected to this case, instead relating to a drugs debt between Smith and one of his own customers. A man is due to face trial accused of his murder. But he added: "Padgett understandably thought that Smith's death was related to the £18,000 drugs debt in Liverpool."

As detectives investigated the killing, Padgett received more threats - including a warning his child would be orphaned - and eventually reached "breaking point".

On March 26 last year, believing it to be his only hope of safety, he walked into a Bradford police station and began telling officers about the whole operation, said Mr Thomas.

While Padgett is currently under police protection, he has admitted his part in the conspiracy and will be sentenced at the end of the trial.

All eight defendants deny charges of conspiring to supply Class A drugs cocaine and Ecstasy and Class B drugs cannabis and amphetamine between August 2000 and May 2002.

They are: Andrew Nicholson, 32, of Hollins Lane, Mixenden; David Nicholson, 33, of Breck Lea, Sowerby Bridge; Stephen Leonard Kelsall 36, of Peel St, Newcastle-Under-Lyme; Nigel Sharp, 46, of Common Road, Upper Edge, Elland; Allan Wilby, 31, of Castle Avenue, Rastrick, Brighouse; Paul Haukedahl, 36, of Altmoor Rd, Hightown, Liverpool; and John McGinn, 41, of Princess Drive, Huyton, Liverpool.

McGinn and Haukedahl also deny five counts of making threats to kill relating to Padgett and Miss Madge.