Daniel Lawless, 23, was jailed for 18-and-a-half years at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday for shooting an innocent man with a shotgun as he walked to a chip shop. The victim, David Forbes, was blasted in the legs outside his own home in Croxteth in what prosecutors described as a case of mistaken identity, amid a backdrop of petty tit-for-tat gang retaliation.
Attack Caught on CCTV
On the evening of February 28 last year, Forbes left his home to collect food for his family from a chip shop. After crossing Cubert Road in Croxteth, he saw Lawless, dressed in black and masked, drop a white plastic bag and sprint toward him. Prosecuting barrister Simon Christie told the court that Lawless mumbled something indistinct before aiming a shotgun at Forbes, who had no connection to the defendant or his associates, and firing. Forbes recalled a bang and a flash before collapsing, discovering he had been shot in the legs.
CCTV footage captured Lawless leaving an address on Petherick Road just after 10pm, entering the car park of the Lobster pub, where he pulled a shotgun from a carrier bag and brandished it to three men standing outside. He then walked away to carry out the attack, fled the scene, briefly returned, and left again, gesturing toward the men in the car park. Lawless later returned to Petherick Road by taxi at 7.15am the next morning, carrying a black rucksack. The firearm was never recovered.
Victim's Ordeal and Injuries
Forbes dragged himself back to his house, where his stepson heard him crying, "I've been shot." He was taken to hospital with serious injuries to both legs below the knees, spending an initial two weeks in hospital before being readmitted for four weeks after developing blood clots. He has since undergone multiple operations and skin grafts, with hundreds of shotgun pellets still lodged in his legs. Unable to attend the sentencing due to ongoing medical treatment, Forbes submitted a statement read aloud to the court: "I wanted to look at him directly and ask him why? I have no knowledge of why this happened. I was the wrong person at the wrong time. I'm glad it happened to me. Initially, my stepson was going to the chip shop. I decided to go instead. He's struggled with what's happened and struggled with his exams during his third year at university. Why did he still shoot me if I wasn't the person he wanted to shoot? It was nothing to do with me."
Defendant's Criminal History
Lawless has a prior criminal record, including a 10-month sentence in January 2023 for making threats with an offensive weapon in a public place. In July 2025, he was handed five years and four months for wounding with intent after throwing boiling hot sugar water over his cellmate, causing significant injuries. Defence counsel Charles Lander said Lawless had suffered the death of his grandmother that week and that his parents expressed utmost sympathy to Forbes. Lander added that Lawless had taken employment as a wing cleaner in prison and intended to leave Liverpool upon release to distance himself from associates.
Sentencing and Judge's Remarks
Lawless admitted wounding with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life; a previous charge of attempted murder was ordered to lie on the file. Appearing via video link from HMP Liverpool, he wiped his eyes with his blue Montirex t-shirt as Judge Garrett Byrne sentenced him to 18-and-a-half years in prison with an additional four years on licence. The judge stated: "Mr Forbes was a totally innocent member of the public. He did not know you. He did not associate with you or any of your friends. He had nothing to do with any criminal group. He was simply walking to a chip shop to get some food. You left your home carrying a loaded shotgun in a plastic bag. Your face was covered. You intended to shoot someone as part of some petty, tit-for-tat retaliation. You showed the weapon off to your friends. The unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition are of grave concern to society. They can be used to maim and kill. Innocent members of the public, as in this case, are put at risk of serious injury or worse. There are permanent and irreversible injuries here."
