🔴 CITY CENTRE GUNMEN JAILED FOR 49 YEARS OVER NYE SHOOTING

Two men have been sentenced to a combined total of 49 years in prison for the attempted murder of a man during a calculated shooting in Birmingham city centre.

Christ Lidiu, 26, was jailed for 27 years at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday after a jury convicted him of pursuing and shooting a victim in his 20s.

His accomplice and getaway driver, Exauce Mazebo, 24, was sentenced to 22 years for his role in the attack which occurred on Constitution Hill during the early hours of New Year's Day 2024.

The court heard that the incident followed an earlier physical altercation, after which both defendants travelled to Lidiu’s residence in Perry Barr to retrieve a firearm before returning to the scene.

Upon their return, Lidiu chased the victim on foot, who at one point collided with a passing vehicle in a desperate attempt to evade the gunman before being shot in the shoulder.

The victim’s injuries were confirmed to be non-life-threatening following emergency medical intervention, though the court noted the high potential for a fatal outcome.

Police investigators tracked the getaway vehicle, a Seat Leon, four days after the shooting and executed a series of firearms warrants across Solihull and Erdington to secure the arrests.

Evidence presented during the trial included CCTV footage and mobile phone records which placed both men at the scene and documented their specific journey to collect the weapon.

The prosecution highlighted that Mazebo had attempted to conceal his mobile phone in a freezer during the police raid and had drafted messages detailing plans to flee the city.

Officers also recovered items of clothing from the defendants' homes that provided a forensic match to the garments identified on digital surveillance at the time of the offence.

Lidiu and Mazebo both denied any involvement throughout the proceedings but were found guilty following a comprehensive ballistics investigation and technical analysis by West Midlands Police.

The sentencing judge described the act as a premeditated escalation of violence, noting the grave risk posed to the public in a busy metropolitan area during New Year celebrations.

Both men will be required to serve at least two-thirds of their lengthy custodial terms before being eligible for consideration for release on licence.

The conviction marks a significant conclusion to a two-year investigation into high-harm gang-related violence within the West Midlands region.