Two youths plead guilty

Two people involved in a criminal feud that saw two shootings in one day in Leeds have been jailed following an investigation by specialist gun crime detectives. Officers from West Yorkshire Police’s Firearms Prevent Team painstakingly built up a picture of the background leading up to the incidents and gathered the evidence that saw two men and two youths plead guilty to the offences.

One of those sentenced today, Emile Riggan, aged 17, was shot in the chest and seriously injured in Pasture Road, Harehills, shortly before 6pm on July 16. Police had received a number of calls from members of the public reporting a disturbance between two groups with shots being fired.

Riggan presented himself at St James’s Hospital with gunshot injuries a short time later and was arrested. He underwent surgery and recovered from his injuries.

He was subsequently charged in relation to an incident earlier that day where he and his two accomplices had targeted a rival’s address in Devon Close, Woodhouse, firing a shotgun at the front of the property causing damage.

Devon Close Shotgun Damage: They sped off in a blue Ford Ka which then crashed into a wall and a van in nearby Archery Road as they escaped from the scene. The car, which was bearing false registration plates, was later found abandoned in Hill Top Place, Hyde Park, and was recovered for forensic examination.

The same vehicle was also used a short time before in an incident in Roundhay Grove where a window at a house was smashed by masked men armed with what appeared to be shotgun, although no evidence was found of a gun being discharged.

The three were charged with criminal damage in relation to that incident but those charges have been allowed to lie on file. Over the days that followed, detectives carried out extensive enquiries and reviewed intelligence which suggested the incidents were the result of a conflict between two rival organised crime groups.

They arrested the two other suspects in a series of operations involving firearms officers and they were later charged. Shaheem Isaacs, aged 24, of Louis Grove, Chapeltown, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life in relation to the shooting at Devon Close. He was sentenced to eight years in prison at Leeds Crown Court today.

Riggan, of Spencer Place, Chapeltown, and a 15-year-old male were due to face a trial but both changed their pleas to guilty on the first day of the trial and were convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence in relation to the same incident.

Riggan was given 12 months custody. The judge lifted the reporting restriction on his identity that previously applied to him as a youth. The 15-year-old is to be sentenced at a later date.

Jordan Williams, aged 26, of Lock Lane Castleford, previously admitted assisting an offender in relation to in relation to shooting in Pasture Road. He was on licence at the time of the offence after being released from prison where he was serving a sentence for other firearms offences. He is due to be sentenced at a later date.

Detective Inspector Andy Farrell, who led the investigation, said: “These convictions and sentences are an excellent result for the community who were put in fear by these incidents. “A comprehensive investigation by specialist detectives built up a detailed picture of the involvement of those convicted, and we believe the strength of that evidence led to their guilty pleas.

“The criminal use of firearms on our streets cannot and will not be tolerated and we hope the successful conclusion of this case will send a very clear message to those who think they can commit offences like this without having to face the consequences.”