Gang fired Uzi submachine gun at village homes in Wakefield tit-for-tat 'campaign of terror'
Four men jailed for shooting at residential homes in Wakefield village in revenge plot.
A gang have been jailed for more than 40 years for carrying out three separate shootings in a quiet village over the space of three days.
Suspected to be revenge for an arson attack at a caravan park and a drug-dealing dispute, a Uzi submachine gun and a 9mm pistol were used to blast homes in which terrified residents were forced to take cover.
The incidents were described as being “large-scale terrorising of a community” and a “campaign of violence and terror”, during a sentencing hearing Leeds Crown Court today.
Connor Murphy, Adam Hopkinson, Shavraze Zaman and Jamie Gill were all jailed today after admitting weapon offences, including conspiracy to possess a firearm with an intent to cause a fear of violence and with an with intent to endanger life.
Lucy Warren admitted a charge of assisting an offender for picking up Hopkinson after one of the shootings. She was handed a suspended sentence.
Zaman also admitted charges of dealing in heroin and crack cocaine, along with possessing a phone in his cell while being held on remand at HMP Leeds.
Outlining the case for the Crown, Giles Grant said six caravans at a nearby park had been set alight in January 2024, which “sparked” the revenge shootings.
He said cars were stolen to carry out the attacks and later burnt out.
The first shooting took place on Langthwaite Lane in South Elmsall, shortly before 10pm on January 18, 2024.
One man was stood at the window as a shot came through. The culprits then drove off at speed.
A stolen Hyundai Kona used in the shooting was later dumped and torched. Warren then picked up Hopkinson.
Two further homes were targeted on the evening of January 21, with five shots directed towards a property on Trueman Way in the village at around 9.48pm.
The shots went through the windows, and several spent cartridges were later found by police. One witness said he saw a man step out of the car and fire the shots from a pistol.
The car then screeched away and just three minutes later, arrived on Wesley Street with another two vehicles in convoy.
A lit petrol bomb was thrown towards a window but the fire fortunately failed to take hold.
A witness said they saw two men banging on the door with baseball bats while a third fired a gun at a window from almost point-blank range.
Witnesses said there was a man, woman and children inside the property, understandably left feeling terrified.
All five defendants were eventually arrested and either denied involvement or refused to answer questions.
But diligent work by police using CCTV, ANPR cameras and phone-mast data allowed them to build a case, putting the defendants at the scenes.
It was thought that Zaman had been storing the weapons.
A trial took place in March 2025 which collapsed after three weeks. A new trial was scheduled for July this year, but all the defendants had entered guilty pleas.
Hopkinson, of Middlecliffe Lane, Little Houghton, Barnsley, has 17 previous convictions for 25 offences, including drug dealing.
Mitigating for the 30-year-old, Conor Quinn said he suffered significant mental-health problems, including ADHD and learning difficulties.
Murphy, of Barnden Drive, Barnsley, has 10 convictions for 15 offences, including possession of a handgun for which he received a five-year sentence in 2016.
Mitigating for the 34-year-old, Helen Chapman said he suffered trauma in his life, but knew he was facing a significant sentence.
Gill, of Richmond Park Croft, Sheffield, has previous for handling stolen goods and vehicle offences.
For the 37-year-old, Dan Santa Costa said Gill had a long-standing drug and alcohol problem and was “embarrassed and disgusted” by his behaviour that he will “regret for the rest for his life”.
Zaman, of Pembroke Street, Kimberworth, Rotherham, has four previous convictions for five offences, including battery and driving matters.
Mitigating for the 32-year-old, Syam Soni said he was “under no illusion” his client was facing a lengthy sentence, but had made progress while in custody.
Meanwhile, Warren, of Manor Oaks Place, Sheffield, has no previous convictions. Representing the 29-year-old, Gwynn Price-Rowlands said she was the partner of Hopkinson and had simply agreed to pick him up after the first shooting.
He said she “suspected” it was criminal in nature, but had “no idea what the offences involved”.
Judge Alex Menary said the shootings were “well planned and executed” and were to designed to “scare and threaten others in quiet residential streets”.
He conceded the exact reasons for the shootings were not known, but there was an “overwhelming inference” it was related to drug dealing, given the defendants’ previous convictions.
Judge Menary described them as “dangerous offenders”.
Zaman was jailed for 13 years and Hopkinson for 11 years. Both Murphy and Gill received eight years and one month each.