A man with links to organised crime fired at the front door of a family home with an eight-year-old child inside as “frightener”, a court was told.
John Bromilow, described by police as a 'dangerous individual', was one of five people charged in connection with a shooting in Wallasey in 2021. The 28-year-old, of Whetstone Lane, Birkenhead, Paul Price, 43, of no fixed abode, Chantae Campbell, 21, of Bridge Street, Birkenhead, Teigan Dutton, of Alexandra Road, Birkenhead, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced.
Bromilow was jailed for six years and three months, Price for five years and 10 months while Campbell and Dutton were both sentenced to 15 months each. A fifth defendant, Mark Sands, of Briardale Road, Oxton, failed to appear and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
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Bromilow and Price pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and Campbell, Dutton and Sands pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess a shotgun without a certificate.
Frank Dillon, prosecuting, told how a broken double-barrelled ‘over and under’ shotgun was fired at a house in Percy Street on October 20, 2021. Bromilow visited the address of Jade Edwards while she was home with her husband and eight-year-old son and fired the shotgun at the front door, twice in quick succession, discharging both barrels.
Price who took him to the house in a white Volkswagen Golf then drove them both away from the scene. Footage from a neighbouring doorbell camera captured the attack which left the front door damaged and caused some damage to a bannister inside. It showed a man come out of the house shirtless and shouting after the shooting and a woman is heard screaming.
Mr Dillon told the court on October 21, Dutton, Bromilow, Campbell and Sands were at Dutton’s address on Alexandra Road. CCTV footage showed Bromilow remove a “long, thin item wrapped in black” from a vehicle driven by Sands bringing it into the flat. Bromilow and Dutton later reappear on the footage and exit the building without the gun.
Eight days later, on October 29, Bromilow went to the Alexandra Road address again and collected the gun. On the day of the attack, Bromilow left his phone at the Alexandra Road address which the prosecution say was an attempt to conceal his location. Shortly before the shooting, Bromilow searched Percy Street on Google Maps before arriving. Price drove the vehicle to Ellesmere Port but the Volskwagen Golf was recovered and his DNA was found on the gearstick.
On November 5, Bromilow was stopped and found to be in possession of two phones which were seized and, on the same day, Price was also stopped driving a Volvo. On November 10, police were called to Dutton’s flat in relation to another matter but found six shotgun cartridges in a Lidl carrier bag under her bed.
All five defendants were interviewed by police and most answered no comment or gave very limited responses. In a prepared statement Bromilow said he was at his cousin’s home on the day of the shooting and Price answered no comment to most questions put to him.
Sands claimed he did not know of the address at Alexandra Road or any of the other co-defendants. Dutton answered no comment to all questions asked and Campbell admitted knowing Dutton and Bromilow but not the other two defendants. She also admitted being at Alexandra Road on October 29 but claimed she believed the gun was fireworks.
A victim personal statement written by Ms Edwards was read by the prosecution stating how she moved out of the property. It read: “It has had a profound effect on my life. I did not feel safe in my own home anymore. I have not had a full night’s sleep since. I am worried and scared of the people that have done this.”
The court heard Bromilow has 16 previous convictions for 32 offences including being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs in May 2022. Price has 36 convictions for 78 offences including battery in 2006, battery and harassment in 2007, drink driving, driving while disqualified and dangerous driving in May 2022. Dutton and Campbell have no previous convictions.
Anthony Barraclough, defending Bromilow, said his client was involved with an organised criminal group. He said: “There is a drug background. This man has done away with 28 years of his life.”
Mr Barraclough said: “It is a terrible situation that people can fire from the road but at least it was not taken up the pathway or taken through the letterbox. This use of a shotgun as a “frightener” took place when we had had several other terrible crimes.
Julian Nutter, defending Price, said his client has no previous firearm convictions and nothing for class A drug trafficking. He said at the time of this offence, Price was addicted to heroin after being forced to live with his friend, who was an addict, when his relationship broke down.
Martine Snowden, defending Dutton, said she was only 23 when she committed this offence and has since shown “sincere and deeply-felt regret for letting herself and those around her down”. She said: “She is a young lady with significant personal adversity and has had difficulty in her childhood.”
Paul Wood, defending Campbell, accepted his client facilitated the availability of the use of Dutton’s flat for the weapon and connected the defendants with each other. He said that she was of previous good character, has a strong work ethic and had a difficult upbringing. Mr Wood said: “She knows that she needs to learn a lesson in life from this incident to ensure that she never comes before these courts again.
Sentencing Judge Denis Watson KC said the crime was “committed to further serious criminal activity”.
He said: “The CCTV of that is dramatic, the muzzle flashes and the sound that accompanies it is vivid and horrifying. It was conduct intended to maximise fear and distress. It had involved significant planning. These two men took the lead in what was a group activity and the firearm was discharged not once but twice.”
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Joe Myers from our Firearms Investigation Team (FIT) said: “It is pleasing to see Bromilow and his accomplices jailed today for the storage, movement and use of a firearm on the streets of Wallasey.
“It is through sheer luck that nobody was killed or injured as is the case when any gun is used in our communities. We have seen the devastation that gun crime causes in Wirral and across Merseyside and will pursue those responsible relentlessly. Bromilow is clearly one such dangerous individual, who will now be removed from the community for the foreseeable future, making Merseyside a safer place for all."
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