Shooting Erupts During Alleged Handsworth Drug Transaction
A man was shot in the stomach after driving to a house in Handsworth to purchase drugs, Birmingham Crown Court has been told. The incident, which required the victim to undergo life-saving surgery, unfolded in the early hours of February 1, 2024.
Ibrar Hussain drove his VW Golf to Hamstead Road after receiving a call from someone known as 'Robbie G', prosecutor Paul Fairley informed the jury. The court heard that Mr Hussain's typical routine was to park outside the property, and someone would emerge to deliver the drugs, a process he had followed on multiple previous occasions.
The Alleged Confrontation and Shooting
On this occasion, the court was told that a black man, alleged to be Tyrone Solomon, aged 47, and a white woman came out of the house. Mr Fairley stated that Solomon allegedly had a loaded handgun concealed in his pocket.
The prosecutor alleged that a dispute broke out about the drugs, during which Solomon produced the handgun, pointed it through the car's passenger window, and shot Mr Hussain in the abdomen. Mr Hussain managed to drive away before swapping seats with his friend, who then took him to Heartlands Hospital.
Aftermath and Court Proceedings
The shooting left a bullet lodged in Mr Hussain's right hip, causing multiple perforations to his bowel. He survived after receiving emergency surgery.
Solomon, of no fixed address, was arrested on February 4, 2024, after allegedly slipping out of a ground floor window at his Hamstead Road address. A loaded handgun was recovered from brambles in the rear garden.
While Solomon has pleaded guilty to possessing the firearm and ammunition at the time of his arrest, he denies the charges of attempted murder, wounding with intent, and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life in relation to the shooting. The defence is expected to argue that the gun was already inside the car and that Mr Hussain was accidentally shot during a scuffle. The trial continues.
