The faces of three jailed over revenge shooting
OFFENDERS WERE ARMED WITH KNIVES, TRUNCHEON AND PISTOL
POLICE have released pictures of three men jailed over a gang revenge shooting in Nottingham.
A jury heard how shots fired at a car in Tennyson Street, Radford, on August 3, 2018, sparked the revenge shooting in Oldknow Street, Radford, on August 21.
While the shots caused minor damage, they both missed their target.
The incidents formed part of Operation Snapper – a complex investigation into the supply, distribution and management of firearms connected to a gang in St Ann’s.
Members were feuding with rival gangs, one of which operated from Radford. The tension led to a string of vicious incidents with guns and knives.
The violence led to a string of arrests and, in April 2019, four people were jailed for their involvement in the revenge shooting.
In November 2019, three others were jailed for a further foiled plot from March 2019.
It can now be reported that two men – Richard Burnett and Traequam Lambert – were jailed at Nottingham Crown Court for helping those who carried out the Oldknow Street shooting, as well as for their involvement in the March 2019 plot, after a trial that ended in March.
Sentencing took place on May 19, but reporting restrictions have prevented publication of the details until now.
Burnett, 28, of Nottingham Prison, was sentenced to 24 years after a jury convicted him of conspiracy to wound with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and three counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
Lambert, 22, of Nottingham Prison, got 18 years after the same jury found him guilty of the same offences.
A third defendant – Rudy Burnett – was also sentenced for his part in the March 2019 incident. The 30-year-old, of Cavendish Road,
Carlton, was sentenced to 11 years after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
They will all serve two thirds of their sentences in prison and the rest on licence.
Judge Steven Coupland said the revenge shooting involving Richard Burnett and Lambert had been a “terrifying incident that created a real risk of injury or worse”.
He said the foiled plot from March 2019 – in which the defendants armed themselves with knives, a truncheon and a loaded pistol and went looking for rival gang members in a van – was equally disturbing.
The judge said: “You drove around looking for people. It was just luck that you missed them. I have no doubt that had you found them, these people would have been attacked by your group, wearing balaclavas and using these weapons.
“What you have been convicted of is incredibly serious.”
The judge was satisfied Richard Burnett was the “ringleader”, that Lambert had played a “lesser role” – and that this was reflected in their sentences.
After the hearing, Detective Inspector Mark Adas said: “This was a complex investigation undertaken by a large regional team into a tit-fortat gang rivalry that culminated in the use of guns on Nottinghamshire’s streets.
“It was only a matter of time before a bullet was going to make contact with a person – intended target or not – and no doubt result in very serious harm or even death. With support from the force, we have been able to root out those responsible and remove them and their deadly weapons from society.”
Nottinghamshire Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin added: “We have always made clear that Nottinghamshire Police will utilise every available resource when seeking to bring firearms offenders to justice, and this case again demonstrates that those who think it is somehow acceptable to use weapons on our streets will be brought to justice.
“If you have any information about those involved in gun crime, or who knows where weapons are being stored, please keep contacting us so that these positive results continue.”