Three men involved in a shooting at a house in Crewe have been jailed.
Kieran Mellor, 23, Kenneth Stephenson, 24, and Nyle Smith, 24, had been in an altercation with two men outside the property on the evening of Sunday April 19.
The men first arrived on The Birches in Davenport Avenue shortly after 8pm armed with knives and a wooden plank.
A dispute then took place between the trio and two men aged 50 and 34.
The three men left and returned at 9.55pm with their faces concealed and armed with a shotgun.
The gun was fired at the 50-year-old but narrowly missed him and instead hit the wall of the house.
He did not sustain any injuries.
Police were made aware of the shooting the following day.
Once the men were identified, a manhunt began to locate them.
A number of warrants, supported by armed officers, were executed at addresses on Flag Lane, Derrington Avenue and Fanshaw Walk.
All three men admitted to being in possession of a firearm at an earlier hearing and were sentenced at Chester Crown Court today (Friday 29 January).
Smith, of Artle Road in Crewe, was jailed for four years and eight months.
Stephenson, of Flag Lane in Crewe, was jailed for five years. Mellor, of Walthall Street in Crewe, was jailed for five years.
Detective Inspector Claire Jesson, from Crewe Local Policing Unit, said: “This incident resulted in a large number of officers and staff working around the clock to identify them and remove three very dangerous men off our streets.
“These men had access to a viable firearm and showed they were willing to use it.
“Thankfully the intended victim was extremely lucky not to have sustained any injuries after the bullets missed him and instead hit the wall of the house.
“I am pleased they admitted to their crime, which is on the back of the dedication of the investigation team who gathered strong evidence against them.”
David Keane, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, said: “This sends a message that gun crime will not be tolerated in Cheshire and anyone using or in possession of dangerous weapons will be brought to justice.”
(Image supplied by Cheshire Police – L to R; Mellor, Smith and Stephenson)
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