Gunman hiding in bush gets 32 years for shooting
A GUNMAN who forced his victim to run for his life as he fired a flurry of shots towards his head has been jailed for 32 years.
The moment Hayden Frost lurked in bushes watching his target on a night out prior to the shooting was captured on CCTV.
Frost was dressed in dark clothing when he jumped on his e-bike on the evening of September 9 last year and travelled from his home in Laburnum Avenue, Solihull, to the Marston Green Tavern in Marston Green, where his victim was having drinks with friends.
The 26-year-old then followed the man to the Iron Horse Pub, in Flaxley Road, shortly after 11pm, where he was caught on CCTV hiding in a bush.
When the man continued the night at a friend’s house nearby, Frost followed from a distance.
The victim got into a car and drove to Cranberry Road, Chelmsley Wood where the gunman hid and watched
from an alleyway as the victim parked up.
As the man separated from his friends in the early hours of September
10 and walked to a nearby cashpoint, Frost emerged and discharged up to five gunshots towards the victim – leaving him with a bullet wound to his neck – before fleeing on his e-bike.
The bullet had travelled down to the victim’s right shoulder, where fragments still remain. In addition to the physical injuries, he was also left with psychological scars and now fears being left on his own when out in public. Frost was sentenced to 32 years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court after being convicted of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. But the motive for the attack remains a mystery.
West Midlands Police said officers worked “tirelessly” on the case and studied many hours of CCTV footage as well as studying mobile phone calls.
Frost was identified and arrested on September 25.
Following the sentencing, detective inspector Francis Nock, from the force’s major crime team, said: “We are delighted with the sentence. Frost was calculating.
“Dressed in black, he followed his victim on an e-bike, where he hid and waited for him to be alone and vulnerable. He then carried out what must have been a terrifying attack on his victim, who was forced to run for his life as bullets were discharged. He was not only left with physical injuries but has to deal with the psychological effects as well.
“The judge commended the work of our investigating officers, in particular Det Con Bloxam, who carried out an in-depth CCTV investigation, which led to identifying Frost.
“We will never know the motive for this senseless attack but maybe during the many years Frost will spend in prison he will reflect on his actions and we may eventually get to know the truth.
“Guns have no place on the streets of the West Midlands and this sentence sends out a clear message that people who do carry weapons and decide to use them will face many years behind bars.”