Aston shooting victim Sophie Ellis recalls attack 20 years on

Sophie Ellis (second from right) was with sister Charlene, Letisha Shakespeare and Cheryl Shaw on the night of the attack

The twin sister of a teenager who was shot dead in Birmingham has spoken again about the attack, 20 years later.

Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare were killed by members of the Burger Bar Boys gang during a drive-by shooting in the Aston area of the city.

The pair were caught in the crossfire as a gang feud they had nothing to do with spilled out into the city streets.

Now Charlene's sister Sophie, who was also shot, has spoken to BBC Radio 5 Live's Gangster podcast.

She said their family's anguish continued when they were targeted by the gang after the killers were convicted.

Charlene and Letisha, who were best friends, had been standing outside a New Year's Eve party, on 2 January 2003, when they were killed.

Sophie said: "I saw the gun outside the window. Before you knew it, I found myself to the ground. I knew that I was shot because I was in agony."

Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare were at a new year party on 2 January 2003 when they were shot dead

She said people were screaming and running around and at first, she thought she was the only one to have been injured.

It was only later that she discovered the truth, also learning that their cousin Cheryl Shaw and friend Leon Harris had also been shot.

Ms Ellis suffered serious injuries that led her to lose a lot of blood and facing having to learn to walk again.

Despite the fact her injuries will affect her for the rest of her life, she said: "Nothing can replace the fact that my twin sister is not here."

'Like I'm the one who pulled the trigger'

Following their trial, Charlene's half-brother Marcus Ellis, along with Nathan Martin and Michael Gregory, was sentenced to serve at least 35 years and another man, Rodrigo Simms, was jailed for 27 years.

But Ms Ellis said that that was not the end of the family's torment.

"When they got convicted, I remember my car being smashed. Windows being smashed," she said.

"We had to press the panic alarm for the police to come, because obviously they knew where we lived at the time.

"And then there's been times when I've been in church and people are making comments like, 'Oh, that's the girl that got my people', like I'm the one that pulled the trigger."

• Episodes one and two of Gangster: The Burger Bar Boys is available to hear on BBC Sounds.