Gang member guilty of shooting 12-year-old boy outside Sheffield sandwich shop in case of mistaken identity
The 12-year-old boy was stood with a group of friends outside a sandwich shop on Northern Avenue in Arbourthorne, Sheffield, when gang member Stephen Dunford fired the gun on January 12.
Despite having a bullet wound to his leg, the boy miraculously managed to run home to alert his father who immediately called emergency services.
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Hide AdAnother boy in the group, which had met that afternoon to go to the cinema, escaped serious injuries by a hair's breadth when a bullet struck the hood of his jacket, narrowly missing his head and neck.
Dunford, of Fellbrigg Road, pleaded not guilty to the shooting, giving police a false alibi that he had been having Sunday dinner with his grandparents on the afternoon with the shooting.
While remanded, Dunford even made a phone call from prison in which he rapped about his involvement in the shooting with lyrics referring to a child being hit by a stray bullet.
He was found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life following a six-week trial.
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Hide AdDetectives said the shooting could easily have resulted in the death of an innocent child bystander.
He was also found guilty of an additional count of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life in connection to a firearms discharge on 10 January on Northcote Avenue.
Another man, Brandon Bailey, 26, of Manor Park Way, was also found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life. He had previously pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property on 27 August.
A third man, Devon Gregory, 23, of Heeley Green, who was charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, was found not guilty and acquitted of all charges.
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Hide AdDetective Chief Inspector Jade Brice, investigating, said: “Perhaps the most compelling evidence against Dunford was a confession, made whilst he was on remand.
“During a phone call from prison, Dunford recited a rap that he had written himself, containing lyrics about his involvement in the shooting, in which a ‘youth was hit by a stray’, a reference to a bullet.
“The phone call was recorded and after being shared on social media, was seized by officers investigating the incident.”
The white Ford Focus used in the drive-by shooting was later recovered on Clough Road in Sheffield, with analysis revealing it had been reported stolen from West Yorkshire in November last year.
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Hide AdDet Chief Insp Brice added: “Dunford is likely to now spend a significant period of time in prison and I know this will be a great relief to the Sheffield community and particularly the people of Arbourthorne.
“We could quite easily be talking about the death of a 12-year-old, thankfully that is not the case.
“Dunford’s actions sent shockwaves through a community who should not have to tolerate this type of behaviour on their streets."
Dunford and Bailey will be sentenced on October 2.
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