Gunman hired to blast front door of sleeping Wakefield family's home in bitter dispute
A gunman was hired to frighten a family during a an ongoing dispute by firing a gun at their front door in the middle of the night.
Drug dealer Javed Hussain employed the help of Seedy Egunu to blast the door of the property on Coronation Street in Wrenthorpe, near Wakefield, in July 2022.
The pair were caught after investigating police officers were able to painstakingly piece together mobile phone information, CCTV and ANPR cameras to bring charges against the pair.
Hussain, 27, was jailed for five-and-a-half years at Leeds Crown Court today after admitting possessing a firearm with an intent to cause fear of violence. He also admitted five offences of dealing in Class A drugs from a separate incident.
The shooter, 22-year-old Seedy Egunu, of Westminster Terrace, Bradford, was jailed for 34 months after being found guilty after a trial of possessing a firearm with an intent to cause fear of violence.
A third man, 39-year-old drug addict Razwan Stancu, of Broadstone Way, Bradford, was acquitted of the same offence, but gave evidence during the trial that he had picked up Egunu from outside Chunky Chicken takeaway in Wakefield in the early hours of July 20, 2022.
He then drove him to pick up the shotgun and then to the house in Wrenthorpe where the cartridge was discharged at 4.34am.
The court was told that Hussain, of Grosvenor Street, Wakefield, had an ongoing dispute with the family in Wrenthorpe and later claimed there had been several incidents between them in the weeks before the shooting.
He later sent a picture of the target house and a message to Egunu telling him to “spray the f****** thing up”, taken to mean he should carry out the planned shooting.
There was only minimal damage to the property’s door, the court heard, and no evidence was given by the family.
In mitigation, Hussain’s barrister said he had a low IQ but accepted full responsibility. He said he was using his time wisely behind bars having taken up to 30 courses.
Judge Richard Mansell KC told Hussain: “It was your plan to fire at them and you recruited another to carry it out so you could keep yourself at arm’s length.”
Meanwhile, Hussain had been caught selling crack and heroin in Wakefield in January 2023 after a suspected drugs line number was passed to police, who investigated and were sold drugs by Hussain on several dates.