Two men face jail after being found guilty for their involvement in a shooting at a South Shields house

Aaron Giles, 29, and Kevin Chapman, 40, were both convicted of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday, March 13.

The two men, along with an unidentified third man, had fired two shots at the front door of an address on Brownlow Road, in South Shields, on September 21, 2022.

No-one was injured but Northumbria Police’s Major Investigation Team (MIT) immediately launched an investigation.

Police were able to compile a case using CCTV and telecoms activity, which went on to highlight Giles and taxi driver Chapman’s involvement.

CCTV footage showed Chapman’s Skoda driving past the address as Giles shouted out the victim’s name, before the unidentified gunman fired twice at the property and fled the scene.

Chapman tried to deny his involvement in the shooting by claiming that he had simply given someone a lift.

Giles, of Richardson Avenue, and Chapman, of Hawthorne Avenue, were found not guilty of conspiracy to murder, but the jury found them both guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Both men were remanded into custody and are set to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on May 5.

Detective Chief Inspector Louise Jenkins, of Northumbria Police, led the investigation, she said: “This was an appalling incident that saw a shotgun brazenly fired at an address in South Shields. It is sheer luck that nobody was seriously injured or killed.

“From the outset of this investigation, we were determined to ensure effective justice was brought against anybody found to have had any involvement in this shooting – and I am pleased that the jury have now convicted Giles and Chapman for their roles.

“This outcome is only possible thanks to the outstanding work of a team of detectives and staff from across the Force who carried out a huge amount of enquiries in order to ensure both defendants had their day in court.

“I would also like to thank our colleagues at the Crown Prosecution Service for their continued support.

“Incidents of this nature are rare in our area, but when they do occur we take them extremely seriously and are committed to acting quickly and robustly.”

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