Two failed hitmen convicted after one shot the other in botched shooting in Smethwick

Two would-be hitmen have been convicted after they botched their shooting plan when one of them accidentally shot the other first.

Adam Liaqat, aged 19, and Asad Khan, aged 22, were parked up in St Paul’s Road, Smethwick, just before 4.30am on November 23 last year and planning a shooting when their own gun went off.

Driver Liaqat, from Sandwell, had fired the gun in error, leaving his passenger and accomplice Khan with serious leg injuries.

Khan, from West Bromwich, was left to take a taxi to hospital and initially did not explain what had happened.

However, the Major Crime Team (MCT) at West Midlands Police launched an investigation and officers started to unravel exactly what had occurred.

It was established the Mitsubishi Outlander the pair were in had been stolen from Rowley Regis the previous evening.

Khan was arrested when he was medically fit to be questioned and his mobile phone was seized. Officers then discovered a message between Khan and someone else which indicated he and Liaqat were on their way to conduct a shooting of their own before their mishap.

A search was later carried out at Khan’s address and crack cocaine was recovered.

Liaqat was arrested on December 2 following a pursuit with a Honda Accord, which he was driving despite only being a provisional licence holder.

He was driving alongside passenger Yakuba Sawaneh. Items including class A drugs and a burner phone were thrown from the windows during the police chase and the car was then finally stopped in Oldbury.

All three men were convicted on May 21 after a trial Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Liaqat, aged 19, of Middlemore Road, Sandwell, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. He pleaded guilty to driving offences.

Khan, aged 22, of Lones Road, West Bromwich, was found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of class A drugs.

Sawaneh, 19, of Perry Common, was found guilty of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.

They are due to be sentenced on July 30.

Detective Constable (DC) Emily Fowler said: “Through our enquiries we established Khan and Liaqat were in the stolen vehicle with a gun. There were messages which indicated they were on their way to shoot someone themselves, although we don’t know who that was.

“At some point, while the car was parked, the gun has gone off and Khan has been injured and the inside of the vehicle damaged.

“Khan made his own way to hospital and we started to establish exactly what happened.

“The pair had clearly put in a lot of pre-planning and preparation as a gun and ammunition had been acquired, and a car stolen and put on false plates.

“However, it went wrong when Liaqat appears to have accidentally shot Khan.”

DC Fowler added: “Lives could have been lost as a result of Liaqat and Khan arming themselves with a gun, including Khan’s own. Illegally owned weapons in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous and it’s why we’re taking action all year-round to tackle gun crime and find offenders.

“It’s clear Liaqat, Khan and Sawaneh were all linked to drugs and he has also rightly been convicted for his illegal activity too. All three face losing their freedom and spending time behind bars.”