Man who opened fire at a group of children on Sheffield street to be sentenced today
Stephen Dunford, aged 25, is to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court, with the judge having already previously warned him that a life sentence is a possibility.
Dunford, of Fellbrigg Road, Arbourthorne, was found guilty of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life last month after a trial.
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Hide AdHe was accused of being the gunman who opened fire at a group of children in Northern Avenue, Arbourthorne, in January – hitting a 12-year-old boy in his thigh and only narrowly avoiding another boy’s neck and head.
Dunford was also found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life over another shooting incident on Northcote Avenue, Heeley, two days before.
He has been described by the Crown Prosecution Service as a ‘highly dangerous individual’.
Brandon Bailey, 26, of Manor Park Way, Manor Park, is also to be sentenced after being found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life.
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Hide AdHe was arrested as part of a wider police probe into the shooting and his DNA was found on a firearm recovered by officers.
It is not claimed he was in the car at the time of the shooting.
The shooting sent shockwaves across Sheffield and led to a public meeting attended by police and council chiefs and community representatives.
Police patrols were stepped up and a huge operation was mounted to crackdown on crime in a bid to reassure residents of their safety.