Braintree: Men jailed for drive-by shooting (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Braintree: Men jailed for drive-by shooting

5:16pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News

Two men have been jailed for a drive-by shooting described by a judge as something out of the Wild West.

Dean Edwards, of Convent Close, Braintree, fired a shotgun at a nightclub three times as he was driven around Colchester by his accomplice Michael Cooper.

No-one was injured but the shots were fired in the "killing zone" - between chest and head height - Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

They denied possessing the weapon with intent to endanger life but were convicted after trial.

Today, Edwards was jailed for 15 years and Cooper, 40, of Russell Road, Clacton, for six.

The court heard Edwards had a previous conviction for selling weapons and had been jailed for five years.

Judge David Turner said: "This was behaviour that may have been expected in Tombstone Arizona, not Queen Street, Colchester."

The court heard how the shootings at TPs Sports Bar were sparked by a minor row over a drink.

Edwards, 39, had been ejected from the bar earlier in the evening and on his way out said he would have the doormen done.

Within two hours, the pair were armed and on their way back to the club.

"This was a revenge attack that got well out of hand," prosecutor Martyn Levett said.

During the trial, they blamed each other for what had happened.

Det Insp Stephen Jennings said after the case: "The result of the reckless and extremely dangerous actions of these two men could have been far worse.

"We could have been dealing with a murder.

"Thankfully these cases are extremely rare and I hope the outcome today demonstrates how seriously Essex Police takes these matters and will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.

"I am pleased these two dangerous men have been taken off the county’s streets.”