Two men have been convicted over a shooting in which the victim was questioned about his identity before being shot in the leg with a shotgun. John Jones and John Hughes were found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday.
The attack unfolded after the victim, Leejay Heavey, was asked by his assailants "if he was Dusty" immediately before the weapon was discharged into his limb. Heavey, who had to have one of his calf muscles removed as a result of the incident, was said to have been "in the wrong place at the wrong time" when he was shot on Radway Road in Huyton.
Plan to intimidate Jordan Thompson
Jones and Hughes, accused of being the rider and pillion passenger of a Sur-Ron motorbike used during the shooting, were alleged to have been executing a "plan to intimidate" Jordan Thompson, also known as Dusty. The firearm in question was later abandoned in a pub car park as the e-bike was chased from the scene by police.
Both were convicted of the single count by a jury of seven men and five women this afternoon. While the verdict on Jones was returned unanimously, Hughes was found guilty by a majority of 10 to two. Some of their supporters were seen in tears in the public gallery while one man responded by storming out of the courtroom, with the defendants having exchanged a fist bump as they were convicted.
Prosecution case details
Alex Leach KC, appearing for the crown, previously told the court during the prosecution's opening: "The prosecution say that, on the 28th of November 2025, John Jones and John Hughes discharged two rounds from a sawn-off shotgun in the direction of a man called Leejay Heavey. Shooting Leejay Heavey had not been their intended plan. Their plan was to intimidate a man called Jordan Thompson, who was also known by the nickname Dusty."
Leach continued: "The prosecution case is that these two defendants rode on an electric motorbike to Jordan Thompson's home, one riding the bike and the second as a pillion passenger. When they arrived at Jordan Thompson's house, they saw Leejay Heavey on the street outside. They asked him if he was Dusty and, when he said he wasn't, they asked him if he'd come out of Dusty's house, which he denied."
He added: "One of the defendants then discharged two rounds out of a sawn-off shotgun. The first round hit Leejay Heavey in the lower leg, and the second was discharged into the ground. The defendants left the scene on the bike and were later the subjects of a police chase."
Sentencing and remand
Jones and Hughes will now be sentenced on November 5. They were further remanded into custody until this date by Mr Justice Bright, the High Court judge who presided over the trial.
Both Hughes and Jones had previously faced offences including attempted murder and conspiracy to murder in relation to the shooting, as had Bernard Flynn and Patrick Lacey. However, these charges were withdrawn against the latter two defendants last month and dropped to the lesser count of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence against the former two.
