3 days ago
Three men jailed for murder in 'brutal' drive-by shooting in Walsall
Three men will spend at least 29 years in jail after a 20-year-old man was shot dead in a revenge killing.
Connor Brookes and a friend were targeted in a drive-by shooting while sat in a parked van in Walsall in last July.
A stolen black Ford Focus pulled up beside them and six seconds later, a gunman at the back fired a shotgun once at them.
Mr Brookes, who was in the driver's seat was killed. His friend in the passenger seat was hit in the left shoulder.
Jake Sanbrook, 22, Byron Sellick, 20, and Julian Falconer, 20, have all been senteced to life, with a minimum of 29 years.
The trio were said by police to have carried out the attack after their friend Bailey Atkinson was stabbed to death in Walsall in 2023.
Mr Brookes' brother was among those convicted of their friend's murder.
Police said 15 minutes before Mr Brookes' murder on Well Lane, they had fired towards another car less than two miles away. Officer believe this was also an attempted revenge attack.
After the attack, the Focus, driven by Sanbrook, sped off at nearly 50mph. The murder weapon was dumped in a bin bag in Wyrley Lane, Staffordshire.
Connor's family said in April, when the men were found guilty: "Connor was an incredibly kind and caring person, someone who was always there for us.
"His loss at such a young age is devastating, for all of us who loved him. This has been a heart-breaking journey for our family, and it's a loss we will carry with us forever. This violence has to end before more lives are ruined.'
Det Insp Michelle Cordell, from West Midlands Police, said: "Connor's murder has had a devastating impact on all who knew and loved him, especially his family. His friend survived the attack, but I have no doubt that the trauma he experienced that day will live with him for the rest of his life.
'The brutal and cold-hearted actions of this group in broad daylight were intentional, cruel, cowardly and unjustified. We may never know who fired the gun, but the jury's verdicts show that they were acting with a common purpose that day.
"Nothing can bring Connor back, but I hope that today's verdicts provide some comfort to both families as they try to heal and rebuild their lives."
