Nigel Edwards KC, instructed by Caitlin Sheriff and Kevin Walker of Woods Solicitors Pontefract, sees his lay client acquitted of charges of attempted murder and attempted section 18 by shooting. The acquittal followed a 6-day trial before the Recorder of Manchester sitting at Manchester Crown Square Crown Court.
The jury took less than half a day to acquit Mr. Edwards client and his brother, who was second on the indictment and said to have been assisting him.
The alleged offending and its run up had all been caught on CCTV and ring door cameras. This was from the first instigation where the defendant was said to have been assaulted and robbed through to his going and picking up a firearm from his home address and shooting at a moving vehicle containing those who had allegedly robbed him and his brother.
The shooting itself was caught on crystal clear video with the defendant seen to exit his brothers’ vehicle and shoot a 9mm semi-automatic handgun directly at another vehicle. The bullet from the gun in fact hit the wrong car and only narrowly missed hitting and killing an entirely innocent 10-year-old girl.
It was clearly the case that tragedy had only been averted by luck and good fortune despite the defendants reckless and highly dangerous behaviour.
The defendant had pleaded guilty to possession of the firearm with intention to endanger life at an earlier hearing. Despite this the Crown decided to try the defendant and his brother on the much more serious charges of attempted murder.