THREE men have been jailed for 32 years after being found guilty of the attempted murder of a 16-year-old boy.
Following a trial at Manchester Crown Court, Kyle Meighan, Aiden Broadhurst and Jieh Sufyaan were all found guilty of the attempted murder of the teenager, who cannot be named be named for legal reasons.
The court heard that Meighan, 31, of Chancel Avenue in Ordsall, Broadhurst, 26, of Manchwster Road in Salford, and Sufyaan, 35, of Pyrus Close in Eccles, targeted the teenager on March 19, 2023.
They spotted him riding his motorbike through Eccles in Salford and “an immediate assembly for a targeted attack was organised between those sentenced” a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed.
The court further heard that the boy was joined on his motorbike by his girlfriend at a local convenience store and the pair made their way onto Station Road towards Armitage Street.
CCTV footage showed in court revealed that the couple were closely tracked by Meighan, Broadhurst and Sufyaan, who were also on a motorbike.
They traced the route the boy had taken and pulled up alongside them.
Two gunshots were heard, with one shot hitting the 16-year-old, piercing through his arm and into his chest.
Following treatment for the injury in hospital, he was discharged a couple of days later to recover at home.
All three men were found guilty of attempted murder following a two-month trial.
Sentencing them yesterday afternoon, the judge ordered them to serve 32 years behind bars each, including an additional three years each on licence.
The police investigation into the attempted murder – Operation Knott – was led by GMP’s Serious Crime Division, in conjunction with Salford district policing teams.
Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson said: “We hope that today’s result will go some way to allowing the victim to heal and move on with his life.
“Every single officer who took part in this investigation is committed to keeping people who live within the local community, safe,” he added.
“It is simply unacceptable to have people carrying guns and using these, and we will make it our life’s work to ensure that these kinds of people are taken off the streets.
“We would also like to thank the community of Salford; their ongoing support ensures we can tackle crime together and keep people of Manchester safe.”