Police describe Leeds drive-by shooting as 'truly shocking' after gunman is jailed for 32 years

Patson Mafaune was handed a 32-year jail sentence today having been found guilty of attempted murder.

The 23-year-old had tried to kill a man after putting a gun to his head while the victim was sat in a car, but the gun jammed.

After the victim ran, he was chased by driver Mafaune who fired shots out of a moving car, but missed.

Speaking after sentencing at Leeds Crown Court today, senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Damian Roebuck said: “This was a truly shocking incident where gunshots were fired in a busy street during the late afternoon on a summer’s day.

“Mafaune has been rightly convicted of attempted murder after holding the gun to the victim’s head and pulling the trigger. It was only by chance that the weapon jammed and the victim was not killed.

“He is clearly a dangerous individual who was prepared to arm himself with a firearm and discharge it in the street regardless of the danger and risks to others.

“A detailed and comprehensive investigation by detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team built up a clear evidential picture of the circumstances and linked Mafaune to this incident.

“The criminal use of firearms on our street is something that we will always treat extremely seriously, and we hope the significant sentence he has received will help to reassure the community and serve as a stark reminder to others of the serious penalties they can expect if they involve themselves in this type of offending.”

Judge Tom Bayliss KC called Mafaune a “highly-dangerous man” before handing him the 32-year extended sentence, made up of 27 years behind bars, and a five-year extended licence period.

The catalyst for the attack was a dispute between Mafaune’s brother and the victim, who said he was owed money for Mafaune’s brother crashing his car.

Mafaune and the victim agreed to meet on the afternoon of July 25 last year at Mr T’s burger bar on Burley Road to discuss the matter, but Mafaune armed himself with the pistol.

When they arrived, Mafaune got into the victim’s car and sat behind him and pulled out the gun, put it against the man’s head and pulled the trigger several times.

The gun jammed, so the shocked driver got out and fled. Mafaune then got into his own car and drove past the victim, pointing the pistol out of the window and firing the gun.

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Mafaune, of Servia Drive, Little London, then lost control and smashed into two parked cars, forcing him to abandon his car and flee on foot. The gun was never found.

Much of the incident was caught on CCTV which was played to the court.

Mafaune claimed throughout the trial that he intended to only show the gun to the man, to warn him to stay away from his family.

The jury did not believe Mafaune’s account and they took less than three hours to return guilty verdicts.