A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for firearms offences following a gang attack on a business in Smethwick last year, which left two men injured. Azeem Hussain, from Walsall, was among a group that targeted City Computers on Bertram Road, where shots were fired, and the shop’s windows and doors were smashed in a violent midday attack on 12 January.
During the assault, two gang members wielded an axe while another two were armed with a shotgun. One man sustained an arm injury from a gunshot, while another suffered a neck injury. Extensive CCTV and mobile phone records identified Jamal Hussain as the driver of the Ford Fiesta used in the attack, and footage from the day before showed the gang scouting the area.
Azeem Hussain fled the country soon after the incident but was arrested upon his return in April. He later admitted to charges against him and received his sentence at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday, 7 November.
Five other men from Walsall have already been sentenced for their roles in the attack. Haider Shabir, 21, was sentenced to 14 years, while Mohammed Uwais Latif, 24, received nine years and ten months. Mohammed Tayyib Wajid, 26, was sentenced to 21 months. Ahmed Aumair, 21, received 12 years and six months in April, and Jamal Hussain, 22, was jailed for nine years and two months in September.
Detective Inspector Francis Nock of the Major Crime Unit commented, “All six men involved in this planned armed attack have been convicted and sentenced. Azeem Hussain was a key player in this operation and has received a lengthy jail sentence to reflect this. This could have easily been a fatal attack, but miraculously, the victims’ injuries were not severe. Weapons have no place on our streets, and we will continue to bring to justice those who use them to incite violence in our communities.