Gunmen accomplice jailed for hiding weapon after Leeds caravan site shootings

Edward Senior, 25, also disposed of blood-stained clothing and hid the JCB vehicle used to transport the gunmen, Leeds Crown Court was told today.

Three men from the same family are already serving lengthy jail terms for the shootings at Dunningley Lane in Tingley on August 8 last year that left two victims with horrific injuries.

Senior, of Dewsbury Road, Tingley, was the last to be sentenced and admitted a charge of perverting the course of justice.

Prosecuting, John Elvidge QC said the Crown accepted his plea, but not claims by Senior what he was unaware of what had taken place.

He said messages between himself and others on the day were found, that he was caught on CCTV giving the thumbs-up to one of the perpetrators.

Mr Elvidge said: “He referred to the victims as ‘pikeys’, aligning himself with the team.”

Mitigating for Senior, Stephen Welford said: “He was aware something big had happened, but was not aware of the precise detail.

"He found himself in a very difficult situation. He was not the instigator, he was acting under direction.

"It was clear it was unsophisticated.

"The firearm was found some days later, by that point the three other defendants were charged in any event. It did not prevent justice from being done.”

He said that Senior had also been a friend of the two victims, and realised that his involvement with the three defendants had been “utterly devastating”.

With no previous convictions, he asked for the court’s mercy to suspended Senior’s sentence.

But Judge Rodney Jameson QC rejected the request and said: “It has to be immediate custody, there’s no way of avoiding that.”

He jailed Senior for 30 months.

Last month Richard Bathie, aged 53, Shaun McDermott, aged 35, and Joshua Bathie, aged 18, were all jailed.

The three went looking for Patrick Doran and William Price in revenge for a fight between Mr Doran and the Bathies outside a christening party at Hanging Heaton Golf Club, Dewsbury, on the afternoon of Sunday, August 8 last year.

Father and son Richard and Joshua Bathie, along with McDermott, were later that day caught on CCTV arming themselves with the shotgun and other weapons at their family farm in Woodhouse Lane, East Ardsley.

At 6.30pm they travelled to Price’s family home at a caravan park on Dunningley Lane.

McDermott approached Mr Price and shot him during a scuffle as the victim tried to grab the barrel.

McDermott then pointed the gun at Mr Doran, who put up his hand which took the blast causing catastrophic damage to his fingers.

The three then drove back to their farm where Senior hid the shotgun amid hay bales.

Both victims had to undergo emergency surgery for life-changing injuries.

Following a trial earlier this year, McDermott was found guilty of both counts of attempted murder, and the Bathies were each convicted of two counts of wounding with intent.

All three were found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

McDermott was sentenced to 34 years in prison; Richard Bathie received a 21 year jail term and Joshua Bathie was jailed for 15 years.