Newcastle 'mistaken identity' shooting pair jailed
Two men who shot at an innocent van driver in a case of mistaken identity have been jailed.
The driver was targeted while he waited at traffic lights in Newcastle, as Mark Exley and Christopher Jones wrongly believed he was a rival criminal. At the city's crown court, Exley, who admitted possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, was jailed for life with a 10-and-a-half year minimum. Jones, who admitted the same offence, was jailed for 18 years. Police said the gun was fired by a masked man who appeared at the van's passenger window during the morning rush-hour in the Kingston Park area of the city in February. It shattered the glass but missed the driver, who had bought the van a few days earlier. The gunman got into a Rover driven by an accomplice and that vehicle was later found burnt out. Exley, 45, of Elswick Road, Newcastle, and Jones, 35, of no fixed address, were identified after police trawled CCTV images. However, officers were unable to say which man pulled the trigger as the moment of the attack was not recorded. When they admitted the firearms offence partway through their trial in July, prosecutors dropped an additional charge of attempted murder. Det Ch Insp Dave Cole, of Northumbria Police, said: "These two men have admitted using that weapon believing the occupant of the van to be a rival criminal. "What they didn't know was that the person sitting behind the wheel was an innocent member of the public. "He is incredibly lucky not to have been hit by the bullet." Exley must serve a minimum of 10-and-a-half years, while Jones will be on extended licence for three years following his release. Ashley Rice, 30, of Benwell Close, Newcastle, was convicted of perverting the course of justice after providing a false alibi for the pair. She was jailed for 17 months at Newcastle Crown Court in August. Related Internet Links HM Courts & Tribunals Service