Duo jailed for combined 60 years after shooting and stabbing in Doncaster
It's after a man was left seriously injured in Hexthorpe in October 2024
Two men have been jailed for a total of 60 years after a violent attack in Doncaster that left a victim fighting for his life.
Jarvis Shields, 23, and Tony Reckless, 46, were sentenced after being found guilty of attempted murder and possession of a firearm.
The incident took place on Abbott Street, Hexthorpe, on the night of October 17 2024, where a man was shot and stabbed suffering serious injuries to his chest and legs.
Police used CCTV footage to track the pair leaving a Ford Focus shortly before the attack.
Reckless was promptly arrested, with a subsequent search revealing a gun hidden in a rabbit hutch and clothing stained with blood at a property linked to him.
Forensic analysis confirmed the weapon was the one used, with it being smeared with blood from both Reckless and the victim.
Phone analysis and further CCTV investigations identified Shields as the shooter, responsible for targeting and wounding the victim.
Both men have been now sentenced to 30 years each at Sheffield Crown Court for attempted murder, with an additional concurrent eight years for the firearm possession.
Passing sentence, Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said that Shields and Reckless were ‘both jointly responsible.’
Commenting on the nature of the injuries to the victim, and praising the ambulance crew who attended that night, he said:
“You both intended that the victim be killed, he very nearly died. He owes his life in fact almost certainly to the brisk actions of the ambulance crew who took him directly to the major trauma unit.”
Leading the investigation for South Yorkshire Police, Detective Constable Hannah Bryan and Investigations Officer Lois Bright, said:
“Shields and Reckless chose to arm themselves that night, Shields with a gun, and Reckless with a knife. They both went looking for the victim and had the clear intention to harm him, luring him into the street, shooting at him three times and slashing him.
"Evidence was heard in the trial that it was in fact pure luck that he didn’t die.
“Despite the investigation resulting in a strong evidential case against the two, they both cowardly chose to deny the offences, with Shields refusing to provide any evidence at all at trial.
“We will not tolerate gun or knife crime in South Yorkshire, and we are relentless in our approach to tackle this form of criminality, as we see first hand the devastation it causes. This sentence highlights the gravity of what can happen if you choose to involve yourself in armed criminality.
"Your support is essential as we strive to achieve this. Any information you can provide in relation to the use of weapons in our county, allows us to keep locking up dangerous criminals.”
A third individual, Lisa Nixon, was found not guilty of attempted murder and firearm possession.