Three men jailed over Wolverhampton playground shooting

Kian Durnin, Martinho De-Sousa and Tireq McIntosh had denied charges of attempted murder

Three men have been jailed for 23 years each after two children, including an 11-year-old playing on a climbing frame, were shot.

The girl and boy, 15, were hit and injured in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting involving armed gangs near a playground in Wolverhampton in May.

Kian Durnin, 22, Martinho De-Sousa, 24, and Tireq McIntosh, 23, were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday.

The judge said they had shown a "callous disregard" for others' lives.

The three men, all from Wolverhampton, were last week found guilty of attempting to murder an unknown person.

They were in a stolen vehicle at the time of the attack and CCTV footage captured them firing at a group of people who had gathered next to the park off Shelley Road in Bushbury.

Two children were hit in the legs, but have since recovered from their physical injuries, the trial heard.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the mother of the 11-year-old girl said their lives had been turned upside down since the attack.

"We have lived and breathed this every day since it happened," she said.

The family added that the girl had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Durnin, the driver of the stolen Ford Focus, and McIntosh, in the front seat, both leaning out of the window and firing shots towards members of a rival group, with De-Sousa in the back seat.

The intended targets were the occupants of a Mini Cooper which gave chase after the shooting, along with other vehicles, including an electric bike.

More bullets were fired during the chase, which continued through the city.

Some smashed the rear windscreen of the Focus, with one burying itself in the headrest. The vehicle was found abandoned the following day.

Judge Justice Sweeting described the trio's search for the rival gang as an "armed expedition" which involved every man equally, although they played different roles.

"You intended to kill one or more of them if you found them," he said.

"You armed yourself with two handguns and ammunition. You wore dark clothing and balaclavas.

"Without leaving the vehicle, you McIntosh and you Durnin opened fire. At least six bullets were fired.

"It must have been apparent to you that the playground was in your line of fire."