Sheffield Crown Court: The Star helps get young killers involved in Mexborough drive-by shooting named

A Sheffield Crown Court trial heard how driver Jack Parkes, gunman Taylor Meanley, and passengers Joe Anderton and Arlind Nika were in a Jaguar car on Wath Road, Mexborough, on January 11, with a shotgun when Lewis Williams was shot in the head and neck and died.

Meanley, aged 17, and Nika, aged 16, had been subject to reporting restrictions – namely Section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 – because of their young ages which had prevented them from being named.

However, The Sheffield Star and Doncaster Free Press supported the Rotherham Advertiser’s successful application to have the reporting restrictions lifted in the interest of open justice so both defendants could be identified.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told the sentencing hearing: “The interests of justice demand that the general public know who has committed this very serious series of crimes arising from a single day in January 2021 in Mexborough.

"It is important that local people know the identity of members of their community who perpetrated serious crimes have been brought to justice and are no longer a menace in their community.”

The Star argued the reporting restrictions should be lifted on the grounds of the serious nature of the offending and with lengthy sentences this would not impinge on any rehabilitation.

We also argued that naming the defendants would serve as a deterrent and that the benefit to the public interest outweighed any benefits the defendants might gain by remaining anonymous.

The Star stated that those from the area may already be aware of the identities.

A trial jury found Meanley, who fired the shotgun, and driver Parkes both guilty of murder and they also found Nika and Anderton guilty of manslaughter.

Meanley, 17, of Beech Crescent, Mexborough; Parkes, 21, of Arnold Crescent, Mexborough; Nika, 16, of Spelman Street, London, and Anderton, 18, of Jubilee Road, Wheatley, Doncaster, were also found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Judge Richardson imposed life custodial sentences for Meanley and Parkes and they must both serve a minimum term of 27 years, and Anderton and Nika were each sentenced to 12 years of detention.