Wolverhampton man found guilty of attempted murder after Dudley car park shooting
Leon Haughton shot victim at point blank range and was caught with loaded shotgun days later
Last updated 17th Oct 2025
A Wolverhampton man has been found guilty of attempted murder after shooting a man at point blank range in a Dudley car park.
Leon Haughton, aged 34, shot his victim in the early hours of 6th April before fleeing the scene in his car.
CCTV footage captured him running away immediately after the shooting before driving off.
Victim treated for gunshot wound
Police were alerted when the victim, a man in his 20s, arrived at hospital at around 1.45am with a gunshot wound.
Detectives launched a detailed investigation, gathering CCTV evidence from across the area to track down the suspect.
Arrest and weapon discovery
Haughton was arrested on 14th April on Great Hampton Street in Wolverhampton after armed officers spotted him driving through the city.
A search of his car uncovered a loaded and shortened shotgun in the boot, along with 11 cartridges.
The weapon was later found to have been stolen from a burglary in West Mercia in 2023.
Evidence of tracking and planning
Investigators discovered Haughton had been tracking his victim before the attack, attaching GPS trackers underneath the victim’s car using cable ties.
He had also carried out extensive research into the victim’s background.
Haughton was charged with attempted murder, two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, and possession of a firearm.
He had previously admitted the firearms offences and was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday 10th October.
He has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date to be confirmed by the court.
Police response
Detective Inspector Francis Nock, who led the investigation, said: “This was a targeted attack by Haughton which could have resulted in his victim’s death.
“It’s by sheer luck the victim didn’t receive any more serious injuries.
“We’ve been working incredibly hard to investigate this incident from the start with teams from across the force working together to piece together what happened and uncover just how in-depth Haughton’s research into his victim was.
“Firearms have no place on our streets or in our communities and we’ll always work tirelessly to bring criminals who think it’s acceptable to use these weapons, cause harm to others, and cause fear in our communities, to justice.”