Three jailed over shooting in Salford

Three men have been jailed for their involvement in a shooting in Salford in 2018 which saw a man receive life threatening injuries.

Phillip Manning (25/12/87) of HMP Wakefield, Tony Kelly (31/07/91) of HMP Manchester and Bryan Thomas (19/10/99) of HMP Forest Bank pleaded guilty to the charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and Possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Manning and Kelly were sentenced to 16-and-a-half years in prison.

Thomas, who was also sentenced for a separate offence of kidnapping, was jailed for 21 years. He will have to serve a further four years on licence after his release.

On the evening of Tuesday 22 May 2018, officers found a man in his 20s writhing in agony and clutching his side at a house in Ordsall.

The call came into police after gunshots were heard to ricochet off the rear UPVC door to the house on Cloughfield Avenue.

This, along with smashed glass to the patio door, was consistent with the damage found by the forensics team; a clear attempt to terrify the occupants.

The victim, who was found to have a bullet head lodged near to his spine, underwent lifesaving surgery and fortunately made a full recovery.

Manning, Kelly and Thomas admitted being involved in the shooting and fleeing in a white Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Detective Inspector Dave Meeney of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Those who arm themselves with guns for whatever reason are not, and will never be, part of our society and we will do everything we can, with the help of information from the public and support of our partners, to strip them of their freedom.

“In this incident three shots were fired at close range into a group of people and it is just by luck that the injuries were not more serious or even fatal.

“Our fight against gun crime across Greater Manchester is more robust than ever, as are our tactics and our intelligence. We will continue to use these wherever we can, working around the clock to protect and reassure the communities of Greater Manchester”.

If you have information about guns in your area, contact police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.