CCTV shows gang shooting way into computer store

CCTV footage released by police has shown a gang armed with axes and shotguns attacking a computer shop in the West Midlands.

They targeted City Computers in Smethwick on 12 January, West Midlands Police said, smashing windows and firing shots inside the store.

One victim was hit in the arm and another suffered a neck injury.

Jamal Hussain was jailed for nine years and two months at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to four charges including possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of a shortened shotgun.

West Midlands Police said he had been identified as the driver of the car captured on nearby CCTV cameras.

After fleeing the country following the attack, the 22-year-old, from Walsall, was arrested in May after he flew back to the UK.

The other five members of the gang have already been convicted.

Describing it as a "planned attack", Det Insp Francis Nock said the group had been seen on cameras the day before scouting the route.

"Jamal Hussain was a key player in this operation and has received a lengthy jail sentences to reflect this," he said.

"This could have easily been a fatal attack but miraculously the injuries of the two victims were not serious."

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13 September 2024