Gang Members Sentenced to Over 80 Years for Terrifying Drive-By Shooting
In a chilling case of targeted violence, a gang has been handed prison sentences totalling more than 80 years after a drive-by shooting left a mother with life-changing injuries. The incident, which unfolded on Priory Road in Dudley, West Midlands, saw five shots fired from a stolen grey Audi as the victim was simply walking past her front door.
A Mother's Nightmare Unfolds
The attack occurred shortly after midnight on July 3 last year. The mother had gone downstairs to fetch milk for her child when the vehicle, driven by gang members, passed her home. In a rapid succession, five bullets were discharged, with one piercing through the front door and striking the woman in the hip. The bullet remains lodged in her body due to the significant risks associated with surgical removal, resulting in permanent, life-altering consequences.
CCTV footage from the scene captured the harrowing sound of the gunshots and showed the perpetrators fleeing immediately after the attack. The Audi used in the shooting had been stolen only hours earlier from an address in Wednesbury, as part of a premeditated plan.
Police Investigation and Arrests
West Midlands Police launched an extensive investigation, reviewing hours of CCTV footage to track the gang's movements. The footage revealed that the stolen Audi was driven from a car park to Priory Road, where it passed the victim's address three times before the shots were fired.
Following the sentencing at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday, police released body-cam footage showing the dramatic arrests of the gang members. Officers pulled them from their cars after stopping a vehicle linked to the shooting in Oldbury. Additional arrests were made in West Bromwich in the days that followed.
Sentences Handed Down
After a four-week trial, the five men were found guilty of various offences, including attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The sentences were as follows:
- Kile Straker, 35, of Wolverhampton: Received an extended sentence of 35 years, comprising 30 years in custody and an additional five years on licence. He was convicted of attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and admitted to theft of a motor vehicle.
- Ethan Colbourne, 23, of Tipton: Jailed for 26 years after being convicted of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, plus admitting to theft of a motor vehicle.
- Kieron Atkins, 27, of Tipton: Sentenced to 28 years imprisonment for attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
- Stephen Simms, 25, of Tipton: Received a 10-month prison sentence after admitting to theft of a motor vehicle.
- Iranveer Gill, 29, of Wolverhampton: Handed an eight-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, after being convicted of theft of a motor vehicle.
Additionally, Kye Everitt, 25, of Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to theft of a motor vehicle at an earlier hearing and was given a 12-month prison sentence.
Police Statement on the Investigation
Detective Sergeant Lucy Mooney from the West Midlands Police Major Crime Unit commented on the case, stating: 'This investigation involved hours of reviewing CCTV footage to build up a picture of the people and cars involved. We discovered that the previous owner of the stolen Audi was Straker. He kept the second key for the car and when he needed it, he arranged for it to be stolen. The group then used the car as part of the planned shooting.'
She added: 'Five bullets were fired at the victim's home - and one of those struck the woman in the pelvis. She now has life-changing injuries. This was a terrifying incident and I hope the men spend many years behind bars.'
The sentencing brings a measure of justice for the victim, whose life has been irrevocably altered by this brutal and calculated act of violence.
