Six men sentenced to 119 years after '1920s Chicago style' shooting

Six men have been sentenced to more than 100 years in prison for what's been described by a Judge as a scene more reminiscent of Chicago in the 1920s.

On Friday 8th July 2016 police were at first called to reports of a drive-by shooting in Faraday Square, Bedford, where a woman had been shot in the arm.

During that night two gangs continued to shoot at each other in retaliation, with four properties being shot at at.

A number of people from two different gangs were subsequently arrested and charged by police.

Now six of those men arrested have been sentenced to a combined total of 119 years following a hearing at St Albans Magistrates’ Court.

They were found guilty of a number of offences including conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) and possession of firearms in two separate trials at Luton Crown Court in August and September 2017.

• Mohammed Waez, 21, of Lovell Road, Bedford was sentenced to 22 years

• Shuheb Ali, 19, of Ashmead Road, Bedford was sentenced to 20 years

• Abul Faiz, 21, of Collie Road, Bedford was sentenced to 22 years

• Kierran Hall, 21, of Grange Close, Houghton Conquest was sentenced to 20 years

• Ryan Cockings, 19, of Whitby Bay, Bedford was sentenced to 15 years

• Tavon Carter, 20, of Romsey Way, Bedford was sentenced to 20 years

The Judge described the guns used in the shooting as being “the like of which should never be seen on the streets of Great Britain.”

A seventh man, Abdul Kadir, 35, of Salmon Lane, London was found guilty earlier this year of conspiracy to cause GBH with intent, possession of a Skorpian machine pistol and possession of a sawn-off shotgun in relation to the same incident. He awaits sentencing in December.