Watch CCTV footage of a handgun being fired at a South Shields house as five men are jailed for more than a total of 32 years

Five men who were involved in a nationwide firearms conspiracy have been sentenced to a total of 32 years and four months behind bars, with three others yet to be sentenced.
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The plot was formed after Paul Momat, of Owen Drive in West Boldon, and Jospeh Millward, 29, of Davy Close in Hebburn, decided to lay down a warning to a rival.

The duo enlisted the help of London-based criminal Colin Crawley, 46, and his associate James Townsend, 43, of Hawksmoor Road in Oxford, to plan the daylight shooting, with Caspian Bhinder, 33, of Babbingham Road in Streatham, given the job of being the middle man.

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After weeks of planning, shooter Stefan Simpson, 24, along with Ashlee McKenzie, 33, made the 300-mile journey from London to the North East to carry out the offence.

From left to right (top): Paul Momat, Joseph Millward, Colin Crawley and James Townsend.
From left to right (bottom): Caspian Bhinder, Stefan Simpson, Ashlee McKenzie, Tyran Baglin.From left to right (top): Paul Momat, Joseph Millward, Colin Crawley and James Townsend.
From left to right (bottom): Caspian Bhinder, Stefan Simpson, Ashlee McKenzie, Tyran Baglin.
From left to right (top): Paul Momat, Joseph Millward, Colin Crawley and James Townsend. From left to right (bottom): Caspian Bhinder, Stefan Simpson, Ashlee McKenzie, Tyran Baglin.

The shooting took place shortly after 3pm on September 16, 2021, on Heaton Gardens, with Simpson discharging a handgun at an address moments after the victim had stepped outside his front door.

The plot saw Simpson, of St Matthew’s Road in London, and McKenzie, of Wandsworth Road in Lambeth, given access to accommodation in Gateshead, as well as use of a stolen car that had been arranged by 24-year-old Tyran Baglin.

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Police were able to identify the address on Rayleigh Grove in Gateshead where Simpson and McKenzie had stayed in the hours before the attack, and found a set of car keys that had been concealed behind the television.

The handgun used in the attack.The handgun used in the attack.
The handgun used in the attack.
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The keys opened a stolen car that had been discarded on a nearby street, with officers also locating the handgun used in the attack hidden inside the glove box.

In the weeks after the offence, Northumbria Police, supported by the Metropolitan Police, carried out a series of early morning raids across South Tyneside and London, with a number of suspects arrested.

Four of the men, Millward, Crawley, Bhinder and Baglin, all admitted to being part of the plot when they appeared at Newcastle Crown Court last year.

The remaining four, Momat, Townsend, Simpson and McKenzie, all denied their role but were found guilty following an 11-week trial in January.

Police found the handgun hidden inside of a stolen car's glove box.Police found the handgun hidden inside of a stolen car's glove box.
Police found the handgun hidden inside of a stolen car's glove box.
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On March 18, Momat, Crawley, Simpson, McKenzie and Baglin were all jailed at Newcastle Crown Court – with the remaining three set to be sentenced in the coming weeks.

Momat, 36, was jailed for a total of nine years; eight for being found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence plus an extra year for failing to disclose the key to protected information.

Crawley, of Woodall Court in Croydon, was jailed for six years and five months after admitting to conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Simpson was jailed for seven years and three months after he was found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

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McKenzie, was jailed for six years after being found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Baglin, of no fixed abode, was jailed for total of three years and eight months; three years and two months for admitting conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and an extra six months for failing to disclose the key to protected information.

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