Sheffield drive-by shootings: Man guilty of firearms charge

Children were inside at both addresses that were shot at in June 2020

A man who botched an attempt to conceal his identity when he bought a car used in two drive-by shootings has been found guilty of a firearms charge.

Joshua Mottershead, 22, gave a fake name but used his real address and date of birth when purchasing the vehicle.

The car, bought via social media a few days earlier, was found burned out after bullets were fired at two homes.

During one shooting, Sheffield Crown Court heard, a baby sleeping below a window was showered with broken glass.

Police said two "innocent families" inside the targeted properties had been "caught up in a dispute about organised criminality".

Det Supt Paul Murphy said officers were first called to reports of gunshots on the evening of 30 June 2020.

A minute later, they received further reports of a similar attack in a nearby road.

"It is nothing short of a miracle no-one was injured," Det Supt Murphy said.

Co-defendant Demi Dunford, 25, was caught on CCTV at a petrol station at the same time as the shootings took place.

She was seen to fill a jerry can with petrol, before proceeding to a rendezvous point where the fuel was used in a bid to destroy the car used in the shootings.

Both Mottershead and Dunford were cleared of conspiracy to murder and conspiring to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Mottershead, of St Aiden's Avenue, Sheffield, was found guilty of conspiring to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life. Dunford was cleared of the same charge.

Molly Mayer (L) and Demi Dunsford (R) both pleaded guilty of perverting the course of justice

Dunford, 25, of Derby Street, Sheffield, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to perverting the course of justice.

Co-defendant Molly Mayer, 22, of Callow Drive, Sheffield, also pleaded guilty at a hearing in November to perverting the course of justice.

All three were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 17 January 2022.

They will be sentenced alongside Jason Brough, 51, of Kent Road, Sheffield, who admitted arson at an earlier hearing.

Niki Haycock, 23 of Ironside Close, Sheffield, was cleared of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.