Gunman jailed for 13 years after shooting teenager in broad daylight

Eoin Bailey fired at the 15-year-old victim as he walked to meet his father.

During a three-week trial, Birmingham Crown Court heard how a red VW Polo pulled up on Hubert Street, in the Aston area of Birmingham, at around 8.45am on February 22, 2020.

The teenager was then punched before two shots were fired, one hitting him in the foot and the other passing through the leg of his shorts, narrowly missing his thigh.

The boy was taken to hospital for the gunshot wound and has since recovered physically from the attack.

During a forensic search of the area, officers from West Midlands Police found two spent cartridges, as well as a bullet lodged under an oil barrel, while officers scouring CCTV saw that the registration plate of the Polo was visible and found the registered keeper.

They visited Bailey's address where the car was searched and in the rear footwell was a balaclava which officers believed Bailey was wearing at the time of the attack.

Testing later revealed that it had traces of his DNA, along with further traces on the nearside rear passenger door of the car, while CCTV footage showed Bailey getting into the car earlier that morning.

While Bailey was cleared on attempted murder, he was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and possession of a firearm with intent to cause violence, and sentenced to 13 years behind bars.

Detective Sergeant Leigh Harrison, from Force CID, said: "Although we can't be sure of the motive for this attack, Bailey intended serious violence that morning.

"The very fact that he had a loaded gun means he was looking to cause severe harm, and it is purely down to good fortune that the teenager wasn't more seriously hurt, or even killed.

"We will not tolerate the use of firearms on our streets and we will do all we can to track down and prosecute those who choose to use them to harm or intimidate others."