Guilty verdicts over fatal Wolverhampton gun attack on Dwaine Haughton
Four men are facing long prison sentences after being convicted of their involvement in the fatal shooting of Dwaine Haughton, taking the secret of their motive to the cells.
Two of them – who were found guilty of his murder and will receive life sentences – cannot be named for legal reasons and are referred to as defendant A and B.
Meanwhile Montell Gray and Seamus Williams, aged 22 and 23, were convicted of manslaughter.
The four defendants were further found guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life as well as handling a stolen Audi A7.
All bar Gray, of Springhill Road, Wednesfield, were convicted of arson by torching the car.
They gave no comment interviews to police and declined to give any evidence to the Wolverhampton Crown Court jury.
Victim ambushed in car
The 24-year-old was taken by surprise in Valley Road, Park Village at about 9.20pm on July 20 last year.
He was sitting in a stationary Peugeot 207 next to his cousin Barrington Clarke, who was behind the wheel of the car, when the grey Audi A7 – stolen from an address in Wentworth Road, Bushbury in a car key burglary the previous day and on false plates – loomed into view.
It pulled up four metres away from the passenger side of the car before one of the four occupants got out and fired two, possibly three, shots into the Peugeot hitting Mr Haughton in the face and head.
He was rushed to the Accident and Emergency Department at New Cross before being transferred to Birmingham’s QE Hospital but his life could not be saved and he was certified dead within hours.
The Peugeot left just 18 seconds after the Audi had entered the street.
Analysis of the four men’s mobile phones found no evidence of a plot to ambush the victim but they headed for an area where he was known to spend a lot of time.
Mr Clarke was able to identify the Audi’s driver as defendant A, who he claimed was smirking through an open car window.
CCTV showed the car being reversed into the driveway of a house in Hackford Road, Lanesfield, Wolverhampton, where a man got out, opened the garage and was seen to carry a dark object to the car before it drove away 32 minutes before the shooting.
Three months later an arms cache including two shotguns and ammunition was found in a police swoop at the same address.
Forensic checks on the trigger of one of the shotguns revealed a mixed DNA profile with the major profile that of defendant B.
After the shooting the Audi was driven to an address in Bilston where the occupants switched to a silver Nissan Navara which matched a vehicle he admitted buying and driving around on false plates before the murder.
He also confessed to handling firearms in a bag that, he claimed, belonged to somebody else but denied ever firing one.
The Navara getaway car went to Hackford Road where defendant A collected something – probably a mobile phone – before it headed to Raby Street in Wolverhampton where Williams, of Okemont Drive, Wednesfield, and Gray got out and hailed a taxi to get home.
The Navara then drove defendant A back to collect his BMW before he and defendant B headed to their homes, which they will not be seeing for a long time.
Sentencing is on November 1.
Police: Killers show 'disregard for human life'
Speaking after the hearing, Det Insp Nicholas Barnes, from the homicide team at West Midlands Police, said: “These four men a showed complete disregard for human life when they fired those shots into that car and it’s only through luck alone that others weren’t killed as a result of their actions.
“I’m glad that the jury were able to see that this was nothing short of a calculated and pre-meditated murder.
"My thoughts remain with Dwaine’s family – particularly his cousin who was in the car with Dwaine when he shot - and I hope find some comfort in today’s convictions."
DI Barnes also sought to reassure the community of the West Midlands Police’s ongoing commitment to tackling gun crime.
He added: “We have a dedicated gangs unit which is dedicated to dealing with gun and gang crime and have made some significant arrests and seizures of firearms and ammunition over the last few months.
“Recent court cases have shown that gun criminals can expect to spend many, many years behind bars - police and the courts simply won’t tolerate the use or possession of illegal firearms."
In a statement released today, Mr Haughton’s family said: “Dwaine was a family man. His smile lit up every room he walked into. He was such a big character and his death has left a hole in the hearts of all that knew him.
“As a family it is hard to understand why he was taken in such a tragic way. He will never be forgotten.”
