Man jailed for at least 33 years over fatal drive-by shooting in Wakefield
Dale Stogden was shot and killed on Doncaster Road last August
A man has been jailed for life after killing a dad by mistake in a drive-by shooting in Wakefield last August.
Dale Stogden, who was also known as Brett, suffered a fatal gunshot wound on Doncaster Road on August 12 last year.
He died in hospital less than an hour later.
Leyton Davies, aged 28, of Ossett, was convicted of murder following a two-week trial at Leeds Crown Court and has been sentenced to at least 33 years at the same court today.
Two other men; Adam Ahmed, aged 21, and Marc Carter, aged 20, both from Wakefield, were found guilty of manslaughter and have already been sentenced
They had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Investigations revealed Brett was with a female friend at the time of the shooting. It appeared he may not have been the intended target, as two other men who were present fled immediately afterward.
CCTV footage showed the defendants driving around the Agbrigg area earlier that day and exchanging messages suggesting they were searching for these men.
On the night of the incident, Ahmed was seen concealing a machete before entering the stolen and cloned Toyota RAV4 used in the crime.
Ahmed drove past the group once before turning around, allowing Davies to fire the fatal shot from an open window as they drove by the bus stop outside the BP petrol station.
The gun used was believed to be a converted blank firing pistol.
The RAV4 was found abandoned the following day, and taxi records confirmed the defendants were picked up near the location.
All three men were arrested on August 15 and charged on August 18, remaining in custody since.
Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle of West Yorkshire Police said: “Today’s sentencing marks the final chapter in the court proceedings, and I hope it helps those who knew and loved Brett as they continue to move forward with their own lives.
“I also hope that the wider public are reassured that the three men responsible for Brett’s death are now all serving jail terms.
“We will not tolerate the use of firearms, with this case showing the absolutely devastating impact that just one shot can have.
"The weapon used in this shooting was a blank firing firearm which had been illegally converted. We will continue to work to take weapons such as these out of the hands of criminals.”