Family-feud thug shot his uncle then wept for forgiveness
A FAMILY feud ended with a man shooting his uncle to the foot and telling him ‘don’t f ****** mess with me,’ a court heard.
Daniel Matthews, 35, also shot at a Land Rover parked near his ex-girlfriend’s home a fortnight earlier.
Now Matthews has received a sentence of more than 20 years for the shocking shootings, both committed in broad daylight.
Manchester Crown Court heard he shot at the car at about 12.45pm on June 11 last year, following a row with his ex. The car belonged to his ex-girlfriend’s brother, and was parked near her home in Collyhurst. No one was in the car and there were no injuries.
The night before, Matthews had been texting his partner.
“F*** you, I’ll take your car out,” he told her. After she replied claiming he ‘wouldn’t dare touch my car,’ Matthews
said: “Watch the murders u cause now.”
The day after the shooting, referring to his daughter, Matthews texted his partner saying: “You’ve took my boo, I’m very dangerous now, she was my whole world.” He added: “I’m a man with nothing to lose.”
The day before the shooting, he pointed a handgun at his uncle at his gran’s house in Moston following a ‘hostile’ exchange.
Prosecuting, Alaric Bassano said the relationship between Matthews and his uncle had ‘completely broken down,’ following an argument over money being taken from the account of Matthews’ gran, the victim’s mum.
The following morning, on June 27, at about 8am, Matthews returned to his grandmother’s home. Prosecutors said he showed his uncle, 51, the gun from the day before, and said ‘you want some of this, do you?’
The court heard the uncle went to get a baseball bat from inside the house, with threats being exchanged.
Matthews got in his car, with his father in the passenger seat.
Matthews’ dad told the victim ‘you’re f ****** done.’ The uncle responded by saying: “F*** you, I’m going to f ****** kill you.”
Matthews got out of the car, while holding the gun, and asked his uncle: “What did you just say to my dad?” He then shot the him. His foot bled ‘profusely,’ and he suffered a ‘significant fracture’ which required surgery.
Matthews later returned and apologised, claiming the shooting had been unintentional. He asked his uncle not to call the police, ‘knelt down’ and was crying, the court heard.
He was arrested while driving a car later that morning and failed a roadside drink-drive test.
Police searched Matthews’ home in Moston and found five stun guns, only two of which worked. Defending,
Gerard Doran said Matthews described himself as ‘spiralling out of control’ at the time.
Matthews pleaded guilty to 14 offences: one count of section 18 wounding; two counts of possessing a firearm while committing an offence; two counts of possessing a firearm while prohibited; two counts of possessing ammunition while prohibited; one count of possessing a bladed article; one count of possessing five firearms while prohibited; two counts of possessing disguised firearms, and three counts of possessing prohibited weapons.
Judge Patrick Field QC said the shooting was ‘a calculated, coldblooded and deliberately spiteful act.’
Matthews, of Anfield Close, Moston, received an extended sentence, comprising of 16 years in jail and a further five years on licence. He must serve two-thirds of his custodial sentence in prison.