Gunman jailed for 24 years for shooting teenager in Ward End church car park

A gunman has been jailed for 24 years for shooting dead a teenager as violence erupted in a Birmingham church car park.

Awais Ahmed was himself stabbed with a machete as he opened fire on Antroye Coley, hitting him once in the chest.

West Midlands Police’s Major Crime Unit launched an investigation into the incident, but it was not immediately clear who was involved or where the violence took place.

After more than 1,000 hours of CCTV footage was retrieved and viewed, detectives established that Ahmed and Coley had a chance meeting on Alum Rock Road at around 11.50pm on June 26 last year.

Ahmed, 21, quickly left the scene in a Seat Leon and detectives believe he took a gun from a car parked in nearby Clipston Road.

Meanwhile, Coley also decided to arm himself, bringing a machete from his home on Blossom Grove, Hodge Hill.

“Coley went looking for Ahmed in the Alum Rock area before finding him in the Seat in Christ Church car park on Burney Lane, Ward End,” police confirmed.

“The car park was a known meeting place between Ahmed and his friends.

“Coley and Junior Losinho, who drove him there, were caught on CCTV getting out of the Citroen with the glint of a machete visible in Coley’s hands.

“The men are seen pulling up to Ahmed and his friend, Aman Baig, who were staying in Leon.”

CCTV footage shows a flash from behind the car as Ahmed opens fire with a gun, hitting Coley in the chest.

Coley stabbed Ahmed with the machete in the melee before stumbling and fleeing with Losinho.

The injured men were then driven to Heartlands Hospital by their friends, but when the injured men entered separately, Ahmed’s friends spotted Coley and took him to City Hospital.

Reporting restrictions meant details of the case could only be revealed for the first time today.

At Birmingham Crown Court, Awais Ahmed of Burney Lane was jailed for 24 years after being found guilty of wounding with intent and possessing a firearm with intent.

Baig, 22, of Clipston Road, was jailed for seven years for possession of a firearm.

Losinho, 21, and Coley, 19, both of Blossom Grove, Hodge Hill, admitted wounding Ahmed and will be sentenced at a later date.

Inspector Francis Nock, from the force’s Major Crime Response Team, said: “This has been appalling violence involving deadly weapons on the streets of Birmingham.

“We don’t know the motivation behind what happened. We believe that Ahmed and Coley were friends previously, but they argued to such an extent that they were willing to hurt each other.

“When the men arrived at the hospital, none of them were prepared to say what happened, so we had to work backwards, starting with the hospital CCTV, to establish exactly what happened and where.

“CCTV has played a crucial role in building strong cases against all involved.

“The investigation started with very little information, but has become much clearer thanks to the recovery of a painstaking examination of more than 1,000 hours of footage.

“It meant those involved had no choice but to admit they were present when the violence broke out.”

West Midlands Police also underlined its commitment to tackling gun crime in the region.

Last year, there were 92 shootings in the region, up from 126 the year before, and the number of guns recovered rose from 121 to 152.

CLOCK | Gunfight in Ward End Church car park in Birmingham:

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