Wolverhampton man accused of shooting schoolboy outside grandparents’ home

Eoin Bailey, aged 27, of Victoria Road, Fallings Park, shot the victim in his right foot and then fired a second bullet which narrowly missed a main artery in his left thigh, a court heard.

Mr Andrew Fisher QC, prosecuting, said the attack in Birmingham followed an incident two days earlier where the victim's grandfather was told to pay a £100,000 debt.

Co-accused with Bailey are Shahaile Mohammed, 21, from Birmingham, and Niall Murphy, 29, of Villa Road, Handsworth.

Mohammed allegedly drove all three defendants to the location in a red Volkswagen Polo, before the youngster was assaulted and then shot by Bailey, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Opening the trial, Mr Fisher told jurors: "This is about the shooting of a boy outside his home on the early morning of February 22 last year.

"He was first assaulted and then shot by a group of three men armed with an automatic pistol.

"The motive of the attack is not at all clear. There are appears to be issues with the boy's family."

The victim left his grandparents' address around 8.30am and crossed the road where he was followed by the defendants.

They surrounded him and Murphy punched him, before Mohammed pushed him against a fence, and Murphy punched him again, said Mr Fisher.

Then Mr Bailey, who is believed to have been a man seen wearing a balaclava on CCTV, allegedly shot the victim in his right foot, before shooting him again as he ran off.

Mr Fisher said: "The boy ran across the road back towards his home.

"As he does so, he is shot again. This one passes through into the left leg of his shorts, essentially not injuring him.

"The second shot passes through the top of the shorts, just missing his groin and the femoral artery by a very few inches.

"Had the shot gone a few inches to the side, it could have been fatal."

CCTV of the attack was played to the court.

Jurors were told that the red Polo was owned by Mohammed which was later found by police at his home in Handsworth.

Inside, officers were said to have found a balaclava and bloodstained tissue. They had been able to track the car using CCTV and ANPR [automatic number plate recognition] cameras.

Murphy was allegedly the front-seat passenger and "principle organiser of the event" while the back-seat passenger "in possession of the gun and who shot the boy" was said to be Bailey.

He told jurors that the victim's grandfather was visited two days earlier by several men where he was told "you owe me £100,000".

The three men have each denied four offences.

They are attempted murder, wounding with intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The trial continues.