Thugs jailed for seven years for Sheffield shop shooting

During today's sentencing, Sheffield Crown Court was told how at around 3pm on March 15 last year, 35-year-old Martyn Sedgwick and Lee Wolf, 25, pulled up outside the Premier convenience store in Nodder Road, Woodthorpe in a stolen silver Toyota Corolla.

They arrived seconds after two men exited a white Transit van parked outside the shop and made their way towards the entrance.

Shortly after the men entered the shop, Wolf fired two gun shots were fired towards the shop using what Judge Slater described as a 'sawn-off shotgun'. Wolf was inside the vehicle when he fired the gun.

Prosecution solicitor, Nicola Quinney said: "CCTV shows two men rushing into the shop and crashing into a display of crisps.

"The footage shows the sound of two gun shots.

"A woman's voice can be heard saying 'I'm scared' or 'I'm frightened'."

After the shots were fired the two individuals, who are believed to be known to Sedgwick and Wolf, got back into the white Transit van and sped off.

The Corolla gave chase, with multiple members of the public calling police to report erratic and dangerous driving as the vehicles rammed each other, causing significant damage.

Following the chase, the pair abandoned the stolen car in Poole Road, Darnall.

Forensic work at the scene of the shooting recovered a specific type of shotgun cartridge.

When the Toyota was later recovered by police, there were plastic bags containing the same shotgun cartridges.

Wolf and Sedgwick’s DNA were matched to those found on the bags inside the car.

An extensive trawl of CCTV from the scene of the shooting and vehicle chase also revealed footage of Sedgwick leaving the abandoned Corolla, which identified him as the driver of the car.

Defending Sedgwick, Paul O'Shea said the 34-year-old picked up a prescription drug 'problem' while in custody for a previous offence which he believed could have contributed towards his part in the shocking shooting.

He said: "This caused him considerable difficulty while in custody but his need for those drugs was such that it continued when he was released.

"If he had managed to free himself of that he may not have been involved in the case before your honour today."

In Wolf's mitigation, solicitor Emma Rees said that after being in and out of jail for a string of similar offences the 25-year-old was now trying to turn his life around.

She said: "Mr Wolf is a man who realises that this is not the life he wants. He has a long-standing partner and two children aged four and 10 months.

"The mother of the children and his partner has told him that she does not want to be with someone carrying out these sort of crimes and he is determined to change.

"He is planning on undertaking courses in prison and I am confident he could have a bright future."

Sentencing, Judge Slater said: "I accept that you did not intend to cause injury, that your purpose was merely to frighten. I have not been told of what score you were trying to settle but I presume it was directed towards the two men entering the shop from the van.

"It's clear that there was one female member of the public who was frightened, and understandably so, by your actions.

"On leaving there are witnesses who describe how you were driving away in a dangerous manner on a residential street, so much so that they had to move out of the way to evade you."

Sedgwick entered guilty pleas at an earlier hearing to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

He also entered guilty pleas to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving with no insurance and handling stolen property. He was jailed for seven years and was also disqualified from driving for three years.

Wolf also admitted handling stolen property in addition to the firearms charge, and was sentenced to seven years behind bars.

Charged alongside Sedgwick and Wolf is 54-year-old Michael Burke, of Wragg Road, Sheffield. At an earlier court hearing, he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while banned from doing so. He is due to be sentenced this afternoon.

Acting Detective Inspector John Yoxall, who led the investigation, said: “While this was a targeted incident between individuals known to each other, the actions of Sedgwick and Wolf in particular placed the lives of our communities at risk.

“It is a miracle nobody was injured from either the shooting or the subsequent chase, which could have ended in serious injury or death.

“Burke’s possession of a firearm also places the wider community at risk and I hope that the residents living in the Nodder Road area are reassured by the results at court today.”

ADI Yoxall continued: “I am pleased that all three men have pleaded guilty to their crimes.

“We are absolutely dedicated to tackling gun crime in Sheffield and this is yet another positive result as we continue our efforts to put these dangerous individuals in prison.”