Bungling Hitmen Jailed After Accidental Shooting Derails Ambush Plot
Two men intending to carry out a shooting were arrested after one accidentally shot the other, leading to their capture and convictions.
Two men who planned to carry out a shooting have been jailed for a combined 15 years after their ambush plot was foiled when one accidentally shot his accomplice.
Adam Liaqat, 19, mistakenly fired his weapon at Asad Khan, 23, while they were parked in a stolen vehicle in Smethwick, West Midlands, on November 23. The incident left Khan with life-changing injuries and the vehicle damaged.
Khan was taken to a hospital by taxi and initially claimed ignorance about how he sustained his injuries, but hospital staff alerted authorities, prompting an investigation by West Midlands' Major Crime Team. Officers discovered the pair had used a Mitsubishi Outlander, stolen the previous evening, to travel to the location where the shooting occurred shortly before 4:30 a.m.
Following surgery, Khan was arrested, and his mobile phone was seized. Investigators found messages indicating that Khan and Liaqat were en route to commit a shooting before the accidental discharge occurred. A subsequent search of Khan's address uncovered crack cocaine.
Liaqat was apprehended on December 2 after a police pursuit. He was driving a Honda Accord with only a provisional license, and he and his passenger, Yakuba Sawaneh, attempted to discard items including Class A drugs and a burner phone before being stopped.
Sawaneh, 19, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply. Khan received a 13-year sentence for possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of cocaine, and driving offenses. Liaqat's sentencing is pending.
Detective Constable Emily Fowler stated that the investigation established the presence of a gun in the stolen vehicle and messages indicating an intended shooting. She noted the extensive planning involved, including acquiring a weapon and stealing a car, which ultimately unraveled due to the accidental shooting. "Lives could have been lost as a result of Liaqat and Khan arming themselves with a gun, including Khan's own," Fowler said. "Illegally-owned weapons in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous."
The firearm used in the incident has not been recovered.