Sheffield gang involved in spate of shootings fired at dog, homes, Rolls Royce and Lamborghini

The criminal exploits of a Sheffield gang involved with numerous shootings on the city's streets, targeting members of 'rival' groups, over the last three years have been laid bare.

Innocent homeowners and a pet dog were caught in the literal crossfire, as members of the gang deployed, and stashed, firearms on Sheffield's streets, seemingly with little concern for the potential impact to city residents, going about their lawful business.

During a Sheffield Crown Court hearing held on August 2, 2023, the Crown's case against members of the 'gang' was detailed, involving the following defendants, all of whom have pleaded guilty to the charges they face:

Awais Ahmed, aged 23, of HMP Berwyn, Wrexham;

Zaheer Ahmed, 26, of Dalcross Street, Glasgow;

Qamar Nain, 27, of St Stephen's Road, Eastwood, Rotherham;

Akaash Iqbal, 24, of Fraser Crescent, Woodseats, Sheffield;

Mohammed Maroof, aged 27, of HMP Moorlands, Doncaster.

Prosecuting barrister, Gordon Stables, described how between July 2020 and September 2022, 'members of this particular gang' were involved with three shootings carried out on Sheffield's streets, one of which targeted the dog of a rival gang member and resulted in the innocent animal being put down.

Another of the shootings was carried out by mistake - two doors down from the gang's intended target - and was directly responsible for the occupants of the property selling and moving away, at a loss of tens of thousands of pounds.

The third shooting saw a 20-year-old man suffer serious injuries as he was shot in the chest while driving a rented supercar on one of Sheffield's busiest roads.

Mr Stables said the prosecution 'cannot say who in the gang was responsible for the discharge of the weapons on any particular occasion'. However the court has heard how DNA evidence, combined with the use of mobile phones and calls to taxi firms, has linked the relevant gang members to the three shootings.

The defendants involved in the shootings have also acknowledged their involvement through their guilty pleas, Mr Stables said.

Some of the defendants also faced a number of charges relating to the recovery of guns, ammunition and illegal drugs, with one gun recovered from a bush it had been 'secreted' in on a Sheffield street; another hidden in wasteland behind a city property; and another firearm, which had been concealed behind kitchen boards at an AirB&B the gang had rented in an affluent Sheffield suburb.

Dog fatally shot on Abbeydale Road on July 24, 2020

This incident was carried out at around 1.09am, and involved the defendants Iqbal and Maroof, Mr Stables said.

"Members of the public reported hearing the sounds of between five and seven gun shots. Following the sounds, a dog in pain could be heard," he added.

"CCTV was seized and examined and a recognised man, a member of a rival organised crime group is seen walking his dog. Another male walks towards him, they speak for a short time, a flash is seen. The man with the dog ran away, and a further three flashes were seen before the other male runs away.

"The dog could be seen limping across the road. Firearms officers were quickly on the scene (on) Abbeydale Road, and the dog was found in great distress."

Mr Stables said the officers quickly ascertained that the dog's injuries were not 'survivable'. They requested, and were authorised, to exercise the appropriate authority to put the dog 'out of its misery,' he continued.

DNA was recovered from ammunition casings found on the street, and linked Iqbal and Maroof to the incident.

The prohibited handgun used to carry out the shooting was recovered during a later incident some of these five defendants have been charged with, Mr Stables said.

Recovery of handgun 'secreted' in bush on Lumley Street on outskirts of Sheffield city centre on August 5, 2020

Mr Stables said this incident involved the defendants Nain and Maroof, the latter of whom has already been sentenced for his involvement.

The gun was recovered on Lumley Street, Attercliffe, on the early evening of August 5, 2020, after officers 'undertaking surveillance' on Woodbourn Road saw a group of 'Asian males,' including Nain and Maroof, congregating near to a car.

Mr Stables told the court that the car drove off, but Nain and Maroof remained at the scene, and Nain made an 'arm gesture' at Maroof.

"The Crown's case is that was him [Nain] telling him [Maroof] to get rid of the firearm," Mr Stables said, adding that Maroof 'ran to a bush close to Plumco Plumbing'.

Police officers subsequently searched the bush, and there, they found a 9mm pistol with live rounds of ammunition 'secreted within it,' the court heard.

Mr Stables said DNA attributed to Maroof was found on the weapon, and he was sentenced to five-and-a-years in prison for an offence of possession of an illegal firearm at an earlier hearing. This incident has been included in this set of proceedings because Nain, who admitted his involvement through his guilty plea to a like offence, is yet to be sentenced.

Gang member 'gets it wrong' and opens fire at property of innocent homeowner on Madehurst Gardens, Heeley, on August 27, 2020

This incident took place at around 4.35am on August 27, 2020, and involved Zaheer Ahmed and Awais Ahmed.

"Five bullets were discharged into the kitchen windows of an occupied property.The gunman had got it wrong, and fired at the home of people who were entirely innocent and had no connection," said Mr Stables.

"The likely intended target was two doors away and a weapon had been discharged that same evening, the windows had been put through. The prosecution can't say which male pulled the trigger," Mr Stables added, revealing that CCTV taken from the scene shows two people in the 'immediate vicinity of the shooting'.

The court was told that a telephone belonging to Awais Ahmed was used to call a taxi, taking the occupant to the area, 'shortly before it happened'. A phone attributed to Awais Ahmed was used to request a taxi taking the occupant away from Madehurst Gardens in the minutes following the shooting.

"DNA matching Zaheer Ahmed was found on one of the bullet casings found at the scene. The weapon was recovered later on, and DNA matching Awais Ahmed was found on the trigger and the trigger guard.

In a victim personal statement read to the court, the innocent occupiers of the property shot at by the defendants said they had lived there for 'many years' and had never previously thought of moving. However the shooting meant they no longer 'felt safe' and made the decision to sell their house and move away.

The homeowners made a loss of £30,000 with the sale, they stated in their statement.

Recovery of a handgun and ammunition on Brookfield Road, Nether Edge, on September 18, 2020

This incident, involving Awais Ahmed and Nain, came about after officers executed a warrant at a property on Brookfield Road, Nether Edge, close to a 'small area of wasteland,' said Mr Stables said.

He added: "In that area, a blue Nike shoulder bag was recovered. In it was a black hand gun...there were six rounds within the magazine. There was one round recovered in the chamber and was mobilised, immediately ready to fire. DNA attributed to Awais Ahmed was found on the trigger guard, and DNA attributed to Nain was found on the switches and cartridges."

Awais received a 10-year sentence for drug dealing matters and offences arising from this incident, during a hearing held in June 2021.

Following this incident there was a gap in offending of 17 months, before the fifth incident in time, in February 2022.

20-year-old driver of rented supercar shot in the chest during incident on Ecclesall Road on February 7, 2022

In the hours running up to the incident, which involves the defendant Nain, the 20-year-old victim was among a group of people who had rented a Lamborghini and a Rolls Royce to take to a wedding, the court heard. The victim was driving the Lamborghini at the time of the incident.

"At just after 1.15am on the 7th of February, two gunmen got out of a Ford Focus car on Ecclesall Road, fired at least 11 shots at the occupants of the Lamborghini and Rolls Royce, who had been attending a wedding that day," Mr Stables told the court, adding that occupants of the car drove away shortly after the shooting.

Mr Stables continued: "One of the gunmen recovered casings, set off in pursuit of the Lamborghini and Rolls Royce and pursued them for three miles."

The shooting victim suffered gun wounds to his chest, Mr Stables told the court. The victim declined to provide a statement to the police or co-operate with the police investigation into this incident.

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, asked Mr Stables if he knew the occupation of those using the Lamborghini and Rolls Royce, both of which, he suggested, were extremely expensive cars to rent.

Mr Stables said it is believed the victim may be 'in a similar line of work to these defendants'.

He continued: "I think it's right to say they may be members of a rival gang, it's an inter-gang incident."

Judge Richardson remarked that he had been given the impression that these incidents of criminality involved 'inter-gang violence'.

Guns, ammunition and drugs recovered from rental cottage on Fulwood Lane, Ringinglow, on September 4, 2022

Police executed a search warrant at a cottage on Fulwood Lane which had been rented through AirB&B, Mr Stables said, adding that the items seized resulted in charges being brought against Iqbal.

Mr Stables told the court that a Nokia phone was recovered, along with an iPhone, and a quantity of cannabis with a potential value of between £720 and £1,330. Three shot gun cartridges wrapped in clingfilm were found in the kitchen, along with weighing scales.

A 'more detailed' of the property was undertaken, and located behind kitchen boards and the cooker, officers found a handgun and bag containing a shot gun, which had been shortened and is often referred to as a 'sawn-off' gun.

Mr Stables said Iqbal was asked about the items seized and he claimed he was 'a cannabis user and couldn't go out because his life was in danger'. In a statement he subsequently provided to the court, Iqbal claimed he had not committed any crimes in relation to the firearms found at the property, however he deviated from this position when he entered guilty pleas in relation to the items recovered.

The case was opened by Mr Stables yesterday, and the case is set to continue at Sheffield Crown Court in the coming days with mitigation set to be provided on behalf of the defendants, before Judge Richardson passes sentence.

The charges each of the defendants have pleaded guilty to at earlier hearings, and are set to be sentenced for, are as follows:

- Akaash Iqbal: Possessing ammunition without a licence; possessing a prohibited firearm, namely a sawn-off shot-gun; possession of cannabis with intent to supply

- Mohammed Maroof: Possessing ammunition without a licence

- Qamar Nain: Possessing a prohibited firearm; possessing a weapon and ammunition

- Zaheer Ahmed: Possessing ammunition without a licence; possessing ammunition without a certificate

- Awais Ahmed: Possessing a prohibited firearm