A DRUG dealer accused of attempted murder following an alleged shooting on a Bournemouth estate has had the charge dropped.

Ethan Stanley, of Hamilton Road, Boscombe, had denied the charge, brought in connection with an alleged drive-by shooting in Jewell Road, Townsend, on April 16 this year.

He also pleaded not guilty to affray, unlawful and malicious wounding, possession of a firearm and possession of heroin with intent to supply it.

However, on the first day of a planned trial at Winchester Crown Court yesterday, the 24-year-old admitted the drugs charges, as well as damaging property, and all other alleged offences were dropped.

The decision to give no evidence before the judge in relation to the other counts was made by the Crown Prosecution Service as witness John Williams refused to give evidence.

The Bournemouth Echo understands that the two were in rival gangs.

“The witness made his feelings about giving evidence very plain indeed,” said prosecutor Adam Feest, adding that without Mr Williams, there was little chance of Stanley being convicted.

Recorder Burnett said the witness “underpins this entire thing”, giving not guilty verdicts in each of the dropped charges.

Charlie Roberts, 24, of Christchurch Road, also saw charges of affray and dangerous driving in connection with the same alleged incident dropped.

Mr Feest said Stanley was arrested on February 5 at a property in Kings Park Drive, Bournemouth, when he told police he had 14 grams of heroin in wraps.

They also discovered a set of weighing scales and two mobile phones.

Stanley had used a false name, Darren, to sell the drugs, with the number of one of the phones written on ripped-up sheets of paper and signed ‘D’.

Alisdair Williamson, mitigating, said the defendant “stands on the periphery of the criminal world”, and had a “minor” record with 13 appearances in court.

Sentencing him to three years for the drug offence, as well as a concurrent four-month sentence for damaging property belonging to Abby Arnold on March 31, Recorder Burnett said heroin is a “pernicious drug”.

“It wrecks lives, it ruins lives and it sometimes destroys lives,” he said.

It is understood that no further charges are expected to be brought in connection with the alleged incident in Townsend.

Stanley was initially charged with the attempted murder of 48-year-old Mark Williams – witness John’s father – after he was treated for a pellet wound.