Man jailed after shooting on busy street

A man who shot another man on a busy street in Leeds has been jailed for more than 13 years.

Mohammed Shakeel Malik, 19, shot the 27-year-old in the chest on Stainbeck Road, Meanwood, after claiming his phone had been stolen in a disturbance on 11 August last year.

He left the country the following day, flying from Heathrow to Bangkok, but was arrested when he returned to the UK on 12 September.

Malik, of Stonegate Edge, Meanwood, admitted wounding with intent and was sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison with a five year extension period at Leeds Crown Court.

West Yorkshire Police said the victim was taken to hospital after the bullet passed through the right side of his chest and out of his right arm.

However, he did not suffer life-threatening or life-changing injuries.

The incident was treated as attempted murder and police found there had been an earlier disturbance between two groups of men, opposite the Morrisons Daily Store on Stainbeck Road.

Malik had been seen in the area earlier that day, riding around on an e-bike, and also involved in the altercation on Stainbeck Road at about 14:00 BST.

He later told police his phone had been stolen during the incident.

The shooting was not caught on CCTV but the sound of the gunshot was recorded on a camera nearby.

Malik was then seen running away from the scene after the shooting.

He left the country the next day and was arrested when he landed at Manchester Airport on 12 September, police said.

He was charged with attempted murder and appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court on 14 September, when he was remanded in custody.

On the morning of his trial, he offered a guilty plea to wounding with intent, which was accepted by the prosecution. He was sentenced on 23 May.

Det Ch Insp James Entwistle said: "This was a truly shocking incident where Malik, who was just 18 years old at the time, has been able to access a firearm and resort to such an extreme level of violence without any consideration of the harm that could have been caused to the victim or those passing by on what was a sunny Sunday afternoon.

"It was only by sheer chance that the victim wasn't fatally injured."

He said the incident led to a "detailed and comprehensive" investigation.

"We hope that his conviction and imprisonment will help to reassure the community and serve as a reminder of the serious penalties that others can expect if they choose who involve themselves in this type of offending," he said.

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