Ethan Hallows: Jury finds man accused of killing young dad before fleeing to Dubai GUILTY of murder
A man accused of murder over the fatal shooting of an innocent young dad has been found guilty.
Moments ago, Ethan Hallows was brought back into the dock at Sheffield Crown Court to discover his fate - when he learned that the jury in his two week trial had found him guilty of murder.
He was charged following the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Kevin Pokuta in Page Hall in December 2023.
Kevin, a dad of two, has been sat in his car with his brother when he was gunned down in a case of mistaken identity after the shooter aimed at the wrong car.
Prosecuting Bryan Cox KC argued that 25-year-old Hallows had ‘made the hit’ on Kevin, mistakenly identifying his car as one that had earlier thwarted an attempt to rob a cannabis grow by colliding with one of those involved in the raid.
In the days following the shooting, Hallows fled to Dubai where he remained until earlier this year when he voluntarily returned to the UK and was arrested at Manchester Airport.
Hallows, of Oxford Street, Upperthorpe, was charged with the murder, attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of firearms with intent to endanger life.
He denied all charges.
After a day-and-a-half of deliberations, the jury returned a guilty verdict for all charges.
He had been tried alongside Paris Askew, 23, of Griffiths Road, High Green, who was his partner at the time.
She was charged with assisting an offender, which she also denied.
Mr Cox told jurors that Askew helped facilitate Hallows’ flight to Dubai.
The jury also found her guilty.
Both have been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month.
“Thank you very much what you’ve done,” The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told jurors.
“You have each of you fulfilled a very valuable public service.”
Turning his attention to the defendants, the judge said: “In your case Ethan Hallows you have been convicted of several exceptionally serious criminal offences.”
He informed Hallows that murder results in an automatic life sentence, and the consideration will be on what minimum sentence is handed down upon him.
“In your case Paris Askew, you have been convicted of the serious crime of assisting an offender,” he continued.
Raising concerns over how Askew may try to flee the country, he ordered she be remanded into custody until her sentencing hearing.
In an earlier trial involving other defendants, the gunman who opened fire at Kevin was identified as Jake Brown, then 23, of Horninglow Road, Firth Park,
In December 2024 Brown was jailed for life for Kevin’s murder and ordered to serve a minimum term of 36 years behind bars before he can be considered for parole.
Three other men and a teenage boy were also jailed for their roles.
More to follow