Police release footage of gun being fired at home after West Boldon man jailed for role in firearms conspiracy

Paul Momat, 36, of Owen Drive, West Boldon, and right-hand man Joseph Millward, 29, of Davy Close, Hebburn, initiated the plot in a bid to lay down a warning to a rival.

They enlisted the help of London-based criminal Colin Crawley and associate James Townsend to be the architects of the daylight shooting, with Caspian Bhinder tasked with being the middle man.

Following weeks of planning by the co-conspirators, two men – shooter Stefan Simpson along with Ashlee McKenzie – travelled 300 miles from London to the North East to carry out the offence.

They executed their plan on the afternoon of September 16, 2021, on Heaton Gardens, with Simpson discharging a handgun at an address just moments after the victim had stepped outside of his front door.

The sophisticated plot saw Simpson and McKenzie given access to accommodation in Gateshead as well as use of a stolen car which was duly arranged by Tyran Baglin.

As part of a complex investigation, detectives pored through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage which showed the suspects’ movements, as well as thousands of calls and encrypted messages sent between the defendants.

Officers went on to identify the address on Rayleigh Grove in Gateshead where Simpson and McKenzie had stayed in the hours before the attack. Inside they found a set of car keys that had been concealed behind the television.

The keys opened a stolen VW car that had been discarded on a nearby street, which they had used during the offence. Upon searching the vehicle, officers also located the handgun that had been stashed inside the glove box.

In the weeks following the shooting, as a result of extensive enquiries, Northumbria Police supported by the Metropolitan Police carried out a series of dawn raids across South Tyneside and London with a number of suspects arrested.

Telephones, weapons and cash were also seized from various addresses, including £30,000 from Crawley’s home and £6,000 from an address associated to Momat.

Last year, four of the men – Millward, Crawley, Bhinder and Baglin – all admitted being part of a conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence when they appeared before Newcastle Crown Court.

The remaining four – Momat, Townsend, Simpson and McKenzie – all denied their involvement but were found guilty by a jury following an 11-week trial at the same court in January this year.

Momat, Baglin and Millward also admitted a separate offence of failing to disclose the key to protected information relating to their mobile phone under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).

Last Friday, March 18, five of the men were sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court, with the three remaining defendants to be sentenced in the coming weeks.

The sentences are as below:

:: Paul Momat, 36, of Owen Drive, West Boldon, was jailed for a total of nine years; eight years for being found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence plus an extra year for failing to disclose the key to protected information.

:: Colin Crawley, 46, of Woodall Court, Croydon, was jailed for six years and five months after admitting conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence

:: Stefan Simpson, 24, of St Matthew’s Road, London, jailed for seven years and three months after being found guilty of conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence

:: Ashlee McKenzie, 33, of Wandsworth Road, Lambeth, jailed for six years after being found guilty of conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence

:: Tyran Baglin, 24, of no fixed abode, jailed for a total of three years and eight months; three years and two months for admitting conspiracy to possess firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and an extra six months for failing to disclose the key to protected information.

:: Momat, Crawley and Millward were also handed Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs) to deter further offending.

The order contains strict conditions which include having to inform police of all electronic devices and vehicles that they use, as well as limits to the number of mobile phones or other electronic devices that they can access.

Detective Superintendent Jane Fairlamb, of Northumbria Police, led the investigation. She said: “This was an absolutely appalling shooting that was the culmination of weeks of careful planning by the co-conspirators, with each defendant trusted to play their part in its execution.

“While nobody was ultimately hurt, it’s clear that this behaviour is totally unacceptable and we hope these sentences send a strong message to everyone – we will not tolerate serious violence on our streets.

“I am pleased that eight co-conspirators have now been convicted at court, with five now having been handed custodial terms and the other three due to be sentenced in the coming weeks.

“This outcome has been made possible thanks to some outstanding teamwork between Northumbria Police, Metropolitan Police, Thames Valley Police, North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and our criminal justice partners.

“I would like to thank everyone who played their part in this case. While incidents involving firearms are rare in our Force, when they do occur, we are prepared to use every single tactic at our disposal to deliver effective justice against those involved.

“Under the banner of Operation Sentinel, we will continue to take swift and robust action against anybody involved in serious and violent crime.”

Townsend, 45, of Hawksmoor Road, Oxford, Millward, 29, of Davy Close, Hebburn, and Bhinder, 33, of Babbington Road, Streatham, will all be sentenced on a future date after they were each convicted of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.