Botched crime sees driver 'shoot partner in error'

Two men who police say botched a plan for a shooting after one of them accidentally shot the other in the leg, have been convicted of firearms offences.

The failed criminals, Adam Liaqat and Asad Khan, foiled their own scheme when their gun went off inside their parked car on St Paul's Road, Smethwick, in the West Midlands, on 23 November.

Detectives say Liaqat, the driver, fired the gun by mistake, leaving his passenger and accomplice, Khan, with serious leg injuries.

Liaqat and Khan were both found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

After being shot, Khan took a taxi to hospital where he initially claimed to be unclear about what had happened.

West Midlands Police said their officers discovered that the Mitsubishi Outlander, which the pair were in, had been stolen from Rowley Regis the previous evening.

Officers then found a message between Khan and someone else which showed he and Liaqat were on their way to carry out a shooting, the force said.

Det Con Emily Fowler said: "At some point, while the car was parked, the gun has gone off and Khan has been injured and the inside of the vehicle damaged.

"The pair had put in a lot of pre-planning and preparation as a gun and ammunition had been acquired, and a car stolen and put on false plates.

"However, it went wrong when Liaqat appears to have accidentally shot Khan."

Liaqat, 19, of Middlemore Road, Sandwell and Khan, 22, of Lones Road, West Bromwich, are due to be sentenced on 30 July.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.