PARTYGOERS fled in terror from a Ragga night after 23-year-old Natasha Derby was gunned down on the dancefloor.

Panic ensewed at the Multi Racial Centre in St Mary Street after revellers realised a gun had been fired and a young woman lay dying on the floor, Reading Crown Court heard.

Some of the clubbers thought they could be shot next.

Sharlene Denise Hall, a reveller from Reading, told the court in which Dwayne Haughton is accused of murder: "We were terrified. I did not know at the time whether it was a random gunshot or if there was somebody in there firing a gun at everybody."

Like many of the 100 or so people in the centre Miss Hall fled via one of the centre's two exits after seeing Natasha lying by speakers her head bleeding.

Partygoers got in their cars, many of which were parked in the Royal British Legion car park, and sped away from the town centre.

There was confusion, panic and tears outside the centre, but only a few hours earlier everything had been so different.

The Summer Jam event had been organised by Oliver Williams. His sister-in-law Natasha helped him stage the night.

For most of the evening Natasha was in the centre's foyer taking the £10 entrance fee from clubbers who had come from High Wycombe, Slough, Reading and London.

As revellers went through the foyer through swing doors to the main hall there was a double deck of loud speakers to the left to pump out the music. At the far end of the hall was the DJs' turntables.

As the night approached the end Natasha had walked onto the dancefloor and was dancing with her friend Patrice Humphrey.

Organisers and clubbers said there had been no trouble. Robert Lawrence, whose High Wycombe company Classique Sound provided the sound system, said: "There was one little incident where someone had too much to drink, but there was no trouble."

The event, due to finish at 2am, was overrunning after the top act, DJ Tony Matterhorn, started late.

With Matterhorn spinning the records the night was approaching its climax and the crowd, which had swelled to about a 100, were excited. Robert Brown, also from Classique Sound said: "The DJ had got the crowd going. He had people holding up there lighters. It was a good atmosphere."

Sometime after 2am DJ Matterhorn played a new track by artist Elephant Man called Bad Mind. The song's opening bars were met by cheers, revellers threw their hands into the air and applauded.

Seconds later there was a bang.

Some witnesses told the court they thought it was a Champagne bottle cork popping or a speaker blowing.

Mr Brown, who was by the turntables situated near a fire exit, said: "I thought it was the top speakers falling off due to the vibration of the music. Within a few seconds I heard a few screams and all of a sudden there was mayhem and panic. The fire doors were open and I was pushed out by a crowd of people. The tables were upturned. When I was outside there was a girl screaming that someone got shot in the head."

As people and the gunman scattered the lights in the centre were switched on.

Sarah Jane Page, from Reading, also heard the bang and looked behind her towards the speakers where she saw Natasha lying on her left side. She said: "Everyone was shouting I think she is dead' and she got shot'. Someone close to her lifted her right arm. She let it go and it just dropped. She held her hand over her mouth and screamed."

Patrice Humphrey tended to her close friend of two years. She said: "I heard a loud bang and felt something brush against my top lip. I looked to my left and saw Natasha falling on the floor. I ran out to get help. By now she was bleeding."

Miss Humphrey said she then saw a person sticking out from a group of people to her right, but like many other people that night did not see a gun.

Another friend, Ryan Simpson, took hold of Natasha's hand. He said: "I tried to speak to her. She was bleeding and I was trying to stop people standing over her. She was not answering. Her eyes were just staring."

Three special constables on a routine patrol arrived at the scene first and saw people hurriedly leaving the centre. Special constable Dominic Saarti asked those leaving if the gunman was still in the centre, but could not get an answer. He eventually found Natasha.

He said: "I found a weak pulse. She was still breathing and I squeezed her to see if she would react, but she did not."

Paramedics took Natasha, who was groaning, to Wycombe Hospital. A brain scan was carried out at 3.45am.

Through Saturday, September 4, as people in Wycombe and the national media learned of the shooting, Natasha's condition deteriorated. The bullet had passed through her brain and had not exited her head. Further tests on Sunday confirmed she was brain dead.

At lunchtime doctors broke the news to Natasha's family.

They went to her bedside and were given time to say goodbye to Natasha. Less than two days after setting out for a party, doctors switched off her life support machine and she was gone.