Kevin Pokuta: Gunman who murdered Sheffield dad in tragic 'mistaken identity' revenge locked up for 36 years

Jake Brown, 23, of Horninglow Road, Firth Park, murdered Kevin Pokuta when he fired “four or five” shots through the window of a car he mistakenly thought belonged to a group of cannabis farmers he had just failed to rob.

CCTV showed how Brown passed the parked car on Page Hall Road while riding an e-bike before backing up, producing a pistol and opening fire, even as the vehicle rapidly reversed to escape him.

However, Brown had, in fact, shot at an unrelated car containing innocent Kevin, a man he had never met before who had nothing to do with the cannabis dealers Brown was after.

Also in the car - a silver coloured Skoda - was Kevin’s 17-year-old brother, Dominik, who was miraculously unharmed.

At Sheffield Crown Court today (December 16), Brown was jailed for life for Kevin’s murder, with a minimum term of 36 years.

In sentencing, Mr Justice Lavender said: “Kevin Pokuta had nothing to do with the cannabis farm. You did not know him and had nothing against him.

“It’s a tragedy that you, no doubt fired up with your desire for revenge, mistook him for the wrong person.

“No sentence I can pass will ever make up for the loss of Kevin.”

Brown did not take the stand to defend himself during his trial and was unanimously found guilty of murder by a jury in November. He was also found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, attempted GBH and conspiracy to rob.

Three other men - Lester Ramsey, 25, Leon Waite, 26 and Adam Mulligan, 33 - were also found guilty of conspiracy to rob. They were also jailed today for a total of 12 years.

The killing was part of a botched robbery on the night of December 11, 2023, after the group and several other unknown men first gathered in Denholme Close.

The group of 10 men left for Page Hall Road in a convoy made up of a black car, several e-Bikes and Mulligan’s white van, with a plan to rob a cannabis grow operating out of a terraced house at their destination, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

However, after parking on Barretta Street, the robbery failed after the cannabis farmers confronted the group and defended themselves.

A grey VW Passat, which the prosecution stated was carrying those responsible for the cannabis farm, drove directly at one of the group and knocked him off his bike. Soon after, Brown shot at this car in retaliation.

During the trial, Prosecutor Mr Harrison KC told the jury: “It is clear that most of the group wanted to take revenge following the confrontation, and so they went looking for the VW Passat … they intended to shoot the occupants.”

After failing to steal the cannabis, the group broke up and left the area.

However, within half an hour, Brown had equipped himself with a different pistol and returned to Page Hall Road looking for revenge - starting with searching for the grey VW Passat.

At 00:20am, Brown then spotted another similar silver-grey car and believed it was the same one belonging by the cannabis farmers.

It was not. Instead it was a silver Skoda carrying Kevin Pokuta and his 17-year-old brother Dominik.

But Brown had already picked his target. He pulled alongside the car fired “four or five shots” into the vehicle and mildly rode away.

Meanwhile, Kevin was shot in the back of the head and fatally wounded, leaving Dominik to try to get them both to safety.

Paramedics took Kevin to Northern General Hospital but his injury was deemed medically inoperable, and he was taken off life support on December 13, 2023 and died shortly afterwards.

In a victim impact statement written by Dominik on their behalf and read out by Mr Harrison, Kevin’s family said they were “devastated” by the 19-year-old’s death.

They said: “No one can comprehend that Kevin is dead. When he was taken to hospital we all thought he was going to be okay, that doctors could save him.

“Kevin was a father to two young children he will never see grow up... his son celebrated his his third birthday blowing out candles by his grave side. No child should have to do that.

“Kevin was a good soul who had his whole life in front of him. He was a shy family man but was so funny and could make all of us laugh.

“Kevin will be loved and missed by us forever.”

Mulligan, formerly of Catcliffe, Rotherham and the owner of the white van, was the only one of the group to take the stand during the three-week trial, where he denied knowing anything about the plan to rob the cannabis farm and claimed he thought they wanted his help collecting “bike parts.”

However, the jury rejected this and found all five men in the dock guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery for knowing what they planned to do on December 11, 2023.

Waite and Ramsey were jailed for four years and six months, while Mulligan received three years and six months. Mulligan was jailed for three years and six months.

Meanwhile a 17-year-old boy who was also found guilty of conspiracy to rob and cannot be named for legal reasons, was commended by the judge for engaging with youth services, schooling, and finding volunteer work since the killing. He was handed a youth rehabilitation order lasting two years and ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work.