Man shot 'friend' after row about lift home

An "evil" man who tormented and shot his "friend" after they argued about a lift home has been jailed for 28 years.

Adam Valli held his 26-year-old victim at gunpoint and forced him to get into a car before driving to Shoeburyness, Essex, in May 2023.

Essex Police said the 23-year-old then shot his friend in the leg before fleeing and later shaving his hair and beard to hide his appearance.

Valli, of Beckton in east London, was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced at Basildon Crown Court.

The victim, who required four operations after the shooting, said his family's lives had been changed forever as a result of the shooting on 14 May that year.

"The pain I am suffering as a result of this injury is also a constant reminder to me of what happened that night," he said in a statement read to the court.

Police said the incident was reported by a member of the public who witnessed the victim being shot at 02:00 BST in Frobisher Way.

Valli and the victim, who were long-term friends, had been at an event in London earlier that night.

Following an argument over a lift home, the pair ended up meeting on the A127 where Valli brandished a gun and ordered the victim to get in his car.

Initially threatening to take the victim to his mother's house and shoot him, Valli, of Derifall Close, went on to fire the weapon at his leg.

He was found guilty of attempted murder after a three-week trial.

Det Insp Yoni Adler, of Essex Police's serious crime directorate, said the victim was lucky to be alive.

"The way in which Valli threatened and tormented the victim before shooting him was evil," he said.

"There is no doubt that Valli is a dangerous individual and the work of our officers has taken him off the streets."

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