Innocent man's death in Wakefield drive-by was tragic case of 'wrong place, wrong time'
“Gentle giant” was given all-clear from cancer hours before
An innocent man who was gunned down in public had accidentally wandered into a ongoing drugs feud, a court heard.
Dale “Brett” Stogden was killed in a drive-by shooting in Wakefield in August last year.
The night before, the 50-year-old had been given the all-clear from lung cancer, with the judge labelling his sickening death “all the more cruel”.
Drug dealer Leyton Davies was found guilty of murder and jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court today, having been ordered to serve a minimum of 33 years behind bars.
He was hellbent on exacting revenge on two rivals in the drugs trade, and Mr Stogden happened to be in the vicinity when they clashed.
High Court Judge, Mrs Justice Jennifer Eady, told Davies it was a “needless act of violence”.
She said Mr Stogden “had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
She added: “It would have been obvious to you there would have been people around that very-public location that night.
“It was a pointless, tragic death.
“Although he was not your target, there was clear premeditation.”
The court heard that Davies was determined to find two brothers in the hours leading up to the shooting, and with two accomplices under his direction, they drove around the area searching for them in a stolen car.
Mrs Justice Eady said she was convinced it was linked to drug dealing and that it was a “revenge” mission after the brothers had allegedly assaulted a member of Davies’ family.
Davies, 28, had told the others that the brothers were going to “get got”.
The eventually found the brothers outside the BP petrol station on Doncaster Road, Wakefield, shortly after 9.30pm on August 12 last year.
Davies ordered 21-year-old driver, Adam Ahmed, to slow down when they saw them. Davies then wound down the window from the back seat and aimed the pistol in their direction .
Firing the shot, it missed them and struck Mr Stogden in the base of his neck.
The car then drove off at speed as the two brothers also ran off along Fall Ings Road.
Found on the floor, Mr Stogden was covered in blood and struggling to breathe.
He died at Pinderfields Hospital a short time later.
In a statement released by his daughters in the days after his death, they said: "We are in complete shock at the loss of our dad in such horrific, violent circumstances.
"We will miss him and our breakfast get-togethers. We will miss his big smile.
"Dad, we hope you are no longer in pain and that you can rest in peace. We will always love and miss you."
Mrs Justice Eady also said he was described as being a “gentle giant” who was “clearly much missed”.
Ahmed, of Edgemoor Road, Hall Green, and homeless 20-year-old Marc Carter, who was also in the car at the time, were found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 12 years each.
Davies, from Ossett but of no fixed address, accepted he fired the gun, but claimed it was to simply “scare” the two brothers so denied murder. He was found guilty by a jury.
All three admitted being involved in drug dealing.