Leeds man arrested in America admits involvement in Halifax street shooting three years ago
Sentencing date set for July
A Leeds man charged over a shooting three years ago has admitted his involvement.
Ellis Thornton appeared at Leeds Crown Court this morning where he formally entered a guilty plea to possession of a firearm to cause fear of violence, and possessing ammunition without a licence.
He denied possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life.
Those pleas were accepted by the Crown, with the last two set to lie on file.
It stems from an incident in 2023 when a 9mm pistol was fired at a house on a residential street in Halifax.
Thornton, 26, will now be sentenced on July 8, with a full probation report to be prepared on him.
He was remanded back into custody after the judge said it would be an “inevitable prison sentence”.
A police appeal was issued to find Thornton, of Gledhow Wood Avenue, Gledhow, in January 2023 after damage was caused to a ground-floor window on Lister Lane.
It was thought he left the UK before officers were able to speak with him and it was suspected he was in Barbados.
He was eventually arrested in the United States in connection to separate incidents overseas.
Thornton was then extradited back the UK over the Halifax shooting incident.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said the force was “grateful to the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service for their invaluable assistance in this matter”.