Witness claims she 'heard four-to-five shots and kids started to scream' and saw alleged drive-by shooting of 12-year-old boy in Sheffield

Sheffield Crown Court has heard during a trial how Stephen Dunford, aged 25, of Fellbrigg Road, Arbourthorne, Sheffield, and Devon Gregory, 23, of Heeley Green, Heeley, Sheffield, had allegedly been armed with guns in a Ford Focus which passed the 12-year-old boy as he was shot in the left thigh.

Witness Saffron Lewis told police: “There were two people in the car. They bolted it full speed around the corner and stopped in front of us and from memory I heard four-to-five shots and kids started to scream.”

She added the car did a u-turn and she thought they were coming back to look around before they went to Eastern Avenue.

Ms Lewis said she saw a hooded-driver and a front-seat passenger but added she could not see anyone in the back seat but the windows were blocking her view.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been meeting friends on Northern Avenue, Arbourthorne, at about 3.30pm on January 12 when he was shot but he may not have been the intended target, according to prosecuting barrister Stephen Wood QC.

Mr Wood said the complainant described a front-seat passenger cocking an Uzi-like gun as Dunford.

The complainant claimed he saw another hooded-offender in the back with a shotgun whom the prosecution claim was Gregory.

Mr Wood said this shotgun was later found and had DNA traces of a third defendant, Brandon Bailey, aged 26, of Manor Park Way, Manor Park, Sheffield, but the prosecution does not say Bailey was in the car.

However, police recovered £19,970 from Bailey’s home, according to Mr Wood.

Dunford is also accused of a shooting incident on Northcote Avenue, Meersbrook, where a bullet was found in a vehicle.

Dunford and Gregory have denied attempted murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. Dunford has also denied a further charge of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Dunford, Gregory and Bailey also deny conspiracy to endanger life and Bailey denies possessing criminal property. The trial continues.