A mother narrowly avoided being shot by diving onto her sofa as two gunmen fired at her family home in Middlesbrough, Teesside Crown Court heard. Dwayne Bates, Kieron Robinson, and another unidentified man parked near the property on Middlebeck Way in Thorntree late at night on May 7 last year. They pulled on masks as they approached the house through an alleyway.
Threats and Violence
The mother had been subjected to threats that she would be raped, her house torched, and acid thrown in her face in the days before the shooting. Her car window had been smashed with a hammer the previous night. A woman had telephoned her and issued threats, saying: "We'll come to your house with a shotgun. Get that money round." She told her boyfriend she wasn't sure if their relationship could continue because "of the destruction he brings to my life" hours before she reported hearing a "loud bang" and seeing "black smoke" fill her living room.
The Shooting
Bates and Robinson, both 35, were found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence after a trial in March. The court heard that two men walked onto the driveway at 11pm while the children slept upstairs. Their mother was standing by her living room window, minutes before heading to bed. A third man remained at a distance, likely acting as a lookout. One weapon failed to fire; the other discharged successfully before all three fled. Prosecuting barrister Philip Morley told the court that the gunmen had no way of knowing the mother was present.
Victim Impact
In her victim impact statement, the mother said she struggles to sleep and is "startled at the slightest noise." Her children cannot understand why she is "snappy" and "won't let them go downstairs to get a drink at night time." She added: "They just see a mum who won't let them play out. I'm constantly on edge. I don't recognise myself anymore."
Sentencing
John Elvidge, mitigating for Bates, noted his client had 10 months left to serve for dangerous driving and knew he would be in prison for some time. For Robinson, Peter Makepeace said he was "clearly heavily under the influence of drugs" during the shooting and had no prior violent offences. Judge Amanda Rippon told the men: "You were literally guns for hire. The offence was committed in the context of organised crime. The mum was standing by the window through which one of the men shot. It is only by chance she was not seriously injured." She imposed an extended 10-year sentence for Bates, comprising seven years and four months in prison and two years and eight months on extended licence, considering his risk of reoffending and criminal record including aggravated burglary. Robinson was imprisoned for six years and 10 months.
Police Comment
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Pringle of Cleveland Police said: "This address was targeted knowing that there were potentially young children in there, which is horrifying. That someone is willing to take a chance that they could be hurt is beyond comprehension. I am pleased with today's result and that the public will now be protected from Dwayne Bates and Kieron Robinson."
