Police tracked Sheffield murder suspect around world and watched hundreds of hours of CCTV to solve case
Police trawled through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage in a two-year-long murder investigation that saw detectives chase a suspect around the globe.
DCI Thomas Woodward describes the long-running investigation into the murder of Kevin Pokuta as being like a jigsaw.
Kevin’s death was ultimately a tragic case of mistaken identity.
The 19-year-old dad-of-two was sat in his car alongside his brother when a man on an e-bike rode alongside the vehicle and fired shots at the car.
However it turned out that the gunman - Jake Brown, who is serving a life sentence with a minimum of 36 years - was trying to take revenge after a failed attempt to rob a cannabis grow earlier that night.
He mistook Kevin’s car for one that had driven into one of his accomplices as they made their way in convoy to the drug den they had planned to raid.
Shots had been fired in the aftermath of the collision and when the group reconvened later that night they were intend on revenge.
Kevin was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and died after being shot in the head.
“Hundreds of hours of [CCTV] footage was checked for movements before, during and after both sets of attacks,” DCI Woodward explained.
“It’s the officer in charge of the investigation’s job to plan, decide and agree on the strategy of what CCTV would look like - such as time parameters, where we’re going to be checking, what footage we’re going to be recovering, what’s going to be viewed, to ensure that all original lines on inquiry are completed to get to the truth.
“So officers recover footage in line with the strategy and then have the challenging task of watching those hundreds of hours trying to get that little bit of evidence to piece together movements across the city and show who’s with who.”
Phone data, messages recovered from seized phones and of course forensic evidence like DNA and gunshot residue all then helps to add context to the mammoth amount of CCTV footage.
Countless hours of CCTV was pored over by different specialists to identify often grainy figures and accurately place specific vehicles and individuals.
It becomes a difficult task with a number of suspects, and its only when looking further back and taken as a whole - incorporating incidents like the failed robbery, and a car that was disposed of after the shooting - that it’s possible to grasp what actually happened, South Yorkshire Police explained.
And while technology and investigation processes continue to advance - with things like home security cameras helping add additional pieces to the jigsaw - DCI Woodward says that information from the public remains vital.
“The public support is absolutely key,” he continued.
“We need the public’s support to report anything suspicious to us. This crime was committed in open public - the precursor earlier in the night, with people passing by, driving by, it quite easily could’ve impacted people who were caught in the cross fire which is an extreme danger to the public.
“And of course, the murder a little later on was in full public view on a public street. Shots were fired on the street, causing massive danger.
“So it’s really important to help us to protect the public to understand who’s committing gun crime, who may have access to guns. Even if it’s some piece of information that the public might not think is important, it could be really important to us.
“We really welcome their support to take more guns off the streets and prevent more shootings, which is a high priority for South Yorkshire Police.”
Two years on and the courts are still handling cases related to Kevin’s death, as police have been unravelling the wider web to bring everyone involved with the senseless murder to justice.
On December 19, 2025, a jury at Sheffield Crown Court found Ethan Hallows guilty of murder, with prosecuting barristers claiming he directed gunman Jake Brown to Kevin’s car.
Hallows fled the country shortly after the incident, with the help of his girlfriend at the time Paris Askew, and spent more than a year in Dubai evading arrest before returning to the UK earlier in the year.
DCI Woodward said that Hallows’ solicitors reached out to police, and it was coordinated in such a way that he could be arrested after arriving at Manchester Airport.
Askew was tried alongside Hallows and found guilty of assisting an offender - both are awaiting sentencing next month.
Five other people - including the gunman, Brown - were sentenced in 2024, while it is understood that at least one further individual is still wanted by South Yorkshire Police.
In the meantime, Kevin’s family have spent two years waiting for closure as the case continues to drag into 2026.
“Some investigations are naturally larger than other,” DCI Woodward said.
“This is a large, complex investigation with multiple offenders and it can take several days, weeks, months or even years to get full justice for the family - which is what this is all about.
“We got part justice for the family within 12 months following the court case for the first trial, and of course with Hallows frustratingly leaving the country that’s prolonged the investigation, but also the agony for the family.
“We’ve got, as a police force, to be patient - manage the risk, build a sound, solid investigation, so when there is an opportunity to arrest we’re ready to go.
“The family have got an appointed family liaison officer - it’s important that they’re kept up to date with developments and they play a big part in why we do what we do.”