Three men sentenced after children shot in Wolverhampton
Kian Durnin, Martinho De-Sousa, and Tireq McIntosh were found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court.
Last updated 20th Dec 2023
Three men have been sentenced to 23 years each after being convicted of shooting two children in Wolverhampton.
Kian Durnin, 22, Martinho De-Sousa, 24, and Tireq McIntosh, 23, were found guilty of attempted murder after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
An 11-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy both sustained injuries to their legs on 1 May when they were at a playground on Shelley Road, Bushbury.
The court heard the men were in a stolen car and aiming at the occupants of another vehicle when the children were caught in the line of fire.
Jurors were told both victims were struck in the leg by bullets at the park before a high-speed car chase.
Detective Inspector Francis Nock said: “At least six shots were fired and it’s by sheer luck that these two children weren’t more seriously injured or killed.
“Thankfully, they have both made recoveries from their physical wounds. But this has left their families shattered.
“We may never know who the intended targets were, or why the shooting happened, but we believe it involved tensions between gangs in the Wolverhampton area, and may be connected to illegal drugs.
“This was a cowardly attack by men who had no hesitation in firing deadly guns next to a children’s playground.”
Other offences include handling stolen goods and aggravated vehicle taking.