The mother of murdered Wolverhampton footballer Kevin Nunes has told of her relief as five men face life behind bars for her son’s firing squad-style execution.

Pamela Bailey told the Express & Star: “I hope they are put away so they can’t do this to anybody else’s child.”

Ms Bailey, from London, spoke yesterday after a jury found the five gang members guilty of the murder in September 2002.

She said while the verdict could not bring him back, “at least it is justice”. “Kevin was a footballer and they took away his future,” she added. The trial, which lasted more than three months, heard how Nunes had crossed two Midland gangs – the Heath Town-based UDC and the Raiders, from West Bromwich. Nunes had been dealing in crack cocaine in Aberdeen, where drugs bought on the streets of the West Midlands are sold at hugely inflated prices.

Rival Adam Joof, a leading figure in the Raiders who is currently serving 12 years for trafficking drugs between the Midlands and the Scottish city, was furious that Nunes was encroaching on his territory.

Burly Joof joined forces with the other killers who kidnapped Nunes, who had trials for Stafford Rangers, at gunpoint in Wolverhampton and took him to The Fox pub at Shipley and then on to his death.

After being taunted by Joof Nunes was bundled out of a red Toyota Corolla on a farm access road at Clive Road, Pattingham, around half a mile from the pub.

Joof and fellow gangster Antonio Christie each fired at Nunes, who died from five bullet wounds to his chest, leg and arm.

His girlfriend Leanne Williams was five months pregnant with his son at the time.

Det Supt Joe Costello, of Staffordshire police, said: “Although Staffordshire Police clearly recognises that Kevin Nunes was a dealer in drugs, he was nevertheless the victim of a serious crime and we wish to renew our condolences to his family.

“This verdict will help to bring closure for them after five years of waiting to hear who killed him, and why.”

Joof, widely regarded as one of the most dangerous men in the West Midlands, was jailed for 12 years in 2006 after being convicted of heading a major Midland crime syndicate which trafficked huge volumes of heroin and cocaine to Aberdeen.

The Leicester Crown Court trial heard how Owen Crooks, Nunes’ only friend, betrayed him by driving him to his killers. Michael Osbourne had recruited Crooks.

Levi Walker acted as an “escort” to Joof and Christie. Jurors looked shocked yesterday when they were told for the first time that Walker was currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Smethwick soldier Narel Sharpe, who fought back as Walker tried to steal his gold chain. Mr Christopher Millington QC, prosecuting, told the court fear of retribution had led to a “huge reluctance” from people to come forward.

“They anticipate that the gun that has been used to kill will be used to silence, blind and deafen witnesses,” he said. Trial judge Mr Justice Treacy rejected defence suggestions that Nunes, who had been known to carry a gun, had been “swimming in shark-infested waters” by mixing in the world of drugs and drug dealers. Joof, 27, from Derwent Close, Willenhall; Christie, 28, of Devey Drive, Great Bridge; Walker, 29, a serving prisoner, Crooks, 26, of Wolverhampton, and Osbourne, 29, of Hobgate Road, Heath Town, will all be sentenced on Monday.