Successful prosecutions in attempted murder revenge shooting

5th April 2018

Three London drug dealers were jailed for more than 30 years each today following unanimous convictions for attempted murder. 3PB Barristers Adam Feest QC, who heads its Crime Team, led Jodie Mittell for the Prosecution in the six-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.

The case involved a revenge shooting by the three male defendants against a rival drug network after a robbery at their own drug base in Hampshire. They travelled in convoy from London to the Crookhorn area in the early hours of 13th February 2017. As the victim emerged from a block of flats he was shot in the face with a sawn-off shotgun causing life-changing injuries.

The male defendants were assisted by a local female drug user who lured the victim out of the property on the pretence of a drug purchase. She was unanimously convicted after trial of assisting an offence and sentenced to four years custody.

This case was described as “highly unusual” by the trial judge, Mr Justice Langstaff, due to the fact that the victim and another witness had named two local men as their attackers and not any of the defendants.  As a consequence, Adam and Jodie presented evidence to the Jury showing both why the witnesses were in error and why the defendants were responsible.

In addition, this case involved complex joint enterprise issues and a considerable amount of telephone evidence demonstrating the contact, in particular, between the defendants and to/from the rival network as they travelled to and from the shooting.

For further details please see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-43645534 and https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/crime/gang-behind-crookhorn-drug-turf-war-shooting-jailed-for-combined-95-years-1-8445543