Man jailed for shooting boy, 15, over £100k debt

A GUNMAN who shot a 15-yearold boy at point blank range in Birmingham after a dispute about a £100,000 debt has been jailed.

The victim was targeted outside his grandparents’ home with one shot passing through the boys’s shorts, missing a main artery by inches, and another hitting him in the foot.

The gunman has now been jailed for 13 years after carrying out the attack with an automatic pistol on the morning of February 22 last year.

Eoin Bailey, 28, of Victoria Road, Low Hill, Wolverhampton was cleared of a charge of attempted murder but was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possessing a firearm with intent to cause violence.

Two others, Shahaile Mohammed, 21, also of Victoria Road and Niall Murphy, 28, of Villa Road, Handsworth, were cleared of attempted murder, wounding with intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Andrew Fisher QC, prosecuting, said the motive for the shooting was unclear although there appeared to have been recent “issues” within the boy’s family.

The victim was living with his grandparents at the time at an address in Aston and his parents had split up, which had caused “tensions” within the family.

He said two days before the shooting a group of men, including Mr Murphy, went to the address claiming they were there to do a deal about the sale of a Range Rover.

Mr Fisher said the victim’s grandfather did not like what was going on and told them all to leave but one of the group told him: “I want 100 grand off you.”

He said on February 22 last year the defendants arrived at around 8.40am in a Volkswagen Polo and the 15-year-old had gone outside to meet his father.

They got out of the vehicle and Mr Murphy swung a punch at the teenager while Mr Mohammed pushed him against a fence.

Mr Fisher said Bailey, who had been wearing a balaclava, produced the gun which he had been hiding behind his back.

“He ran away and Bailey shot him in his foot, passing all the way through the right foot. As he was running towards his home he was shot at again, the shot passing through the left leg of his shorts remarkably not actually hitting him, astonishing in many respects, just missing the groin and femoral artery by inches.”

Lawrence Selby, defending, said that Bailey was someone with charisma, had obtained certificates in prison and he had the support of a family in Ireland.