Two men jailed after shots fired at house in 'armed vendetta'

Two men have been jailed after an "armed vendetta" in which a series of shots were fired at a home in Liverpool.

Five shots from a Glock pistol were fired at the detached property on 19 October 2023.

One bullet entered the bedroom of Michael MacLean while he was in bed, with a judge saying it was only "by chance" no-one was injured or killed.

Reece Martin and Anthony Milton, both 19, were each sentenced to 12 years.

Judge Denis Watson KC said Martin, of Partridge Close, West Derby, and Milton, of Peter Road, Walton, "tried to impose the rule of the mob" when they fired the shots at the property on Central Drive, West Derby.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the men travelled on a stolen motorbike to Central Drive at about 08:20 GMT before shooting at the house.

One of the occupants, Joanne MacLean, said she jumped out of bed after being woken by a loud bang.

One of the bullets went through her son, Michael's bedroom window while he lay in bed, although he was not injured.

The bullet then went through an interior wall into the bathroom, with damage being caused to a wall and a window at the property.

The pair were arrested and charged the following month.

A victim impact statement from Michael's dad Shaun MacLean said Martin and Milton "decided on a course of action that could have resulted in the death of my son and ex-partner".

He added: "It was only luck that spared my son's life."

Mr MacLean said: "The house where the shooting occurred has been a family home for 18 years - a place of safety and security.

"That is no longer the case. To this day, we are still at a loss to understand why this house was targeted," he added.

The court heard the shooting was linked to a knife attack on an employee at a pub owned by Mr MacLean's other son said to have taken place four months earlier.

Mr Watson KC said Martin and Milton had been part of an "armed vendetta against someone who stood up for his employee".

He added: "In broad daylight, you fired five shots into an occupied house.

"It was highly dangerous and outrageous, and an attempt to ignore the rule of law and impose the rule of the mob.

"It was by chance that no-one was injured or killed."

Martin and Milton admitted possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Their sentences are initially to be served in a young offenders institution, with an extended licence of five years on their release.

The judge also issued them with a restraining order, prohibiting them from contacting any members of the MacLean family.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Insp John Mullen from Merseyside Police said: "To carry and use a gun can and will ruin lives, both of the victims and those offenders who make such a choice.

"In this case, the sheer recklessness of firing a weapon at a home is clear to see."

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