'Evil' man who shot his friend in Shoeburyness after an argument over a lift home jailed

An "evil" man who shot his friend after getting into an argument over a lift home has been jailed for 28 years.

Adam Valli, 23, of Derifall Close, London, was found guilty of attempting to murder his friend in Shoeburyness, Essex, last year.

It happened in the early hours of 14 May 2023, after Valli and a friend had been at a nightclub in London together.

They had argued over a lift home, and the argument continued over phone calls and text messages for a few hours with Valli threatening to "blast" the victim.

Valli then chased the victim down on the A127, cutting in front of the car the victim was in and shouting at him to get in.

While both men were in the car, Valli pulled out a gun and threatened to take the victim to outside his mother’s house and shoot him.

The two men got out of the car on Frobisher Way with Valli continuing to point the gun at the victim’s head. He then shot him in the leg.

Valli told the victim he was going to bleed to death before he drove off.

Essex Police received a report shortly after 2am from a member of the public who witnessed a man being shot on Frobisher Way in Shoeburyness.

The victim was found with a bullet wound to his leg and taken to hospital. He has since required four operations after sustaining the serious injury.

Valli was arrested on 19 May at his home. He had attempted to change his appearance by shaving off his hair and beard.

He assaulted a police officer whilst in custody.

He was charged with attempted murder, possession with intent to supply a class B drug, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, having a firearm with intent to commit and indictable offence, possession of a firearm, assault against a constable in the execution of their duty and criminal damage.

Following a three-week trial at Basildon Crown Court, a jury found Valli guilty of attempted murder on 12 February.

The 26-year-old victim described how the injuries he sustained still affect him.

He added: “The pain I am suffering as a result of this injury is also a constant reminder to me of what happened that night.

"When I was first taken to Royal London Hospital, I had asked officers to use their phone so that I could call my mum and let her know I was okay. I had remembered hearing her scream when I was in the ambulance.

“When I spoke to my mum, I massively downplayed the extent of my injury to her because I didn’t want her to be worried.

"My mum now has my location on her phone turned on for peace of mind so she can see where I am at all times and ensure I am safe."

Det Insp Yoni Adler, from Essex Police, said: “The way in which Valli threatened and tormented the victim before shooting him was evil. Valli was someone who the victim had known for years and who he trusted.

“The victim is extremely lucky to be alive and I hope that [this] sentence allows him to start moving forward and that he is not to blame for what happened to him.

“There is no doubt that Valli is a dangerous individual and the work of our officers has taken him off the streets.”

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