Burglars jailed for trying to gun down van driver
Police bodycam footage has shown the dramatic moment a man was arrested after a group shot at a passing van driver in Essex.
Three burglars lay in wait and their shotgun bullets narrowly missed the victim in Crays Hill, near Basildon, in the early hours of 18 April 2025.
Essex Police said it was part of a feud between two rival groups.
Johnny Smith was apprehended as he drove on the A127 in Wickford.
The 20-year-old, of Oak Road, Crays Hill, was jailed for 13-and-a-half years at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday having been convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and burglary offences.
Donny Archer, 27, of Kelvedon Road, Tiptree, was jailed for 18 years and Nelson Buckland, 21, of Risebridge Chase, Romford, east London, was imprisoned for 12-and-a-half years after being convicted of the same offences.
Temporary Det Insp Steve Robson said the trio's actions "could easily have ended in tragedy".
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