Two suspected gang members have gone to trial accused of shooting local rivals in a ‘turf war’ that has left eight people with gunshot wounds.

It was heard that Ashai Gray and Reial Phillips was involved in a series of shootings linked to an ongoing feud with members of another gang.

Gray and Phillips were both accused of being involved with a series of gun attacks, where a boy of sixteen years of age was shot in the back, a pair of clubbers were shot in the leg and four men suffered gunshot wounds in a local convenience store in Newtown, Birmingham.

Michael Burrows QC, prosecuting, told the jury that the pair were members of the ‘armed response’ faction of the gang who consider Handsworth and Winson Green were their ‘territory’.

Mr Burrows opened the case saying: “There were at least eight victims of these shootings. Fortunately none were killed, but only one of those victim’s had made a statement to the police.”

It was heard that three of victims refused to make a complaint to the police and a fourth man, who was shot in the leg did make a complaint.

The jury heard in a statement given by Mr Burrows that the family of the teenager had been told by surgeons that he was lucky to have escaped paralysis after bullet fragments were found in the spinal canal.

The duo deny conspiracy to murder, three counts of conspiracy to possess firearms to endanger life and possession of ammunition. They also deny a further two counts of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

To view the full story reported by the Birmingham Mail please click here.

Please click here to view Michael Burrows QC and Michelle Heeley’s profile.