Two would-be hitmen saw their plan fall apart after one accidentally shot the other, a court has heard. Adam Liaqat and Asad Khan were parked up in St Paul’s Road, Smethwick, planning a shooting when their own gun went off at just before 4.30am on November 23 last year.
Liaqat, who had been driving, fired the gun in error, leaving Khan with serious injuries to his leg. The 22-year-old then took a taxi to hospital where he initially told doctors he did not know what had happened. It was later established that Khan and 19-year-old Liaqat were on their way to conduct a shooting when the incident took place.
Stolen Vehicle and Investigation
The Mitsubishi Outlander the pair were in had been stolen from Rowley Regis the previous evening. Khan was arrested when he was medically fit to be questioned, and his mobile phone was seized. Police discovered a message between Khan and someone else indicating he and Liaqat were on their way to conduct a shooting of their own before their mishap.
Crack cocaine was then discovered at Khan's address, and he was arrested on December 2 last year. He had been driving a Honda Accord despite only having a provisional licence. His passenger was a man named Yakuba Sawaneh, and items including Class A drugs and a burner phone were thrown from the windows as the car was pursued and then stopped in Oldbury.
Convictions and Sentencing
All three men went on trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court and were convicted of the following offences on Thursday, May 21:
- Liaqat, of Middlemore Road, Sandwell, was found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply. He pleaded guilty to driving offences.
- Khan, of Lones Road, West Bromwich, was found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of Class A drugs.
- Sawaneh, 19, of Perry Common, was found guilty of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.
They are due to be sentenced on July 30.
Police Comment
DC Emily Fowler said: “Through our enquiries we established Khan and Liaqat were in the stolen vehicle with a gun. There were messages which indicated they were on their way to shoot someone themselves, although we don’t know who that was. At some point, while the car was parked, the gun has gone off and Khan has been injured and the inside of the vehicle damaged.
“Khan made his own way to hospital and we started to establish exactly what happened. The pair had clearly put in a lot of pre-planning and preparation as a gun and ammunition had been acquired, and a car stolen and put on false plates. However, it went wrong when Liaqat appears to have accidentally shot Khan.
“Lives could have been lost as a result of Liaqat and Khan arming themselves with a gun, including Khan’s own. Illegally-owned weapons in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous, and it’s why we’re taking action all year-round to tackle gun crime and find offenders.
“It’s clear Liaqat, Khan and Sawaneh were all linked to drugs and he has also rightly been convicted for his illegal activity too. All three face losing their freedom and spending time behind bars.”
