Daniel Lawless, 23, has been sentenced to 18 years and six months in prison, with an additional four years on licence, for shooting an innocent man in the legs outside his home in Croxteth, Liverpool. The victim, David Forbes, was on his way to a chip shop to collect food for his family on the evening of February 28 last year when he was attacked in what Liverpool Crown Court heard was a case of mistaken identity.
The Shooting Incident
Prosecutor Simon Christie described how Lawless, of no fixed address, was clad in all black clothing and had his face covered. He dropped a white plastic bag and charged towards Mr Forbes, mumbling something indistinct before levelling a shotgun at him and pulling the trigger. Mr Forbes recalled a “bang and a flash” before crumpling to the ground, realising he had been struck in the legs. He then dragged himself back to his house, where his stepson heard him crying, “I’ve been shot.”
Mr Christie stated: “Mr Forbes believed this to be a case of mistaken identity. He was entirely correct. This was a deliberate shooting of a wholly innocent person who was nothing whatsoever to do with the defendant.”
Injuries and Aftermath
The attack left Mr Forbes with “nasty injuries to his lower leg.” He initially spent a fortnight in hospital before being readmitted for four weeks after developing blood clots. He has since undergone numerous operations and skin grafts, and still has hundreds of shotgun pellets embedded in his legs. Unable to attend the sentencing hearing due to ongoing medical treatment, Mr Forbes had a statement read to the court: “I wanted to look at him directly and ask him why? I have no knowledge of why this happened. I was the wrong person at the wrong time. I’m glad it happened to me. Initially, my stepson was going to the chip shop. I decided to go instead. He’s struggled with what’s happened and struggled with his exams during his third year at university. I’d just like to know why he did this to me. I was just going to the shop. Why did he still shoot me if I wasn’t the person he wanted to shoot? It was nothing to do with me.”
Evidence and Previous Convictions
CCTV recordings captured Lawless leaving a property on Petherick Road just after 10pm, making his way to the car park of the Lobster pub. There, he retrieved the shotgun from his carrier bag and displayed it to three men standing outside. After carrying out the attack, he fled the scene, briefly reappeared, and gestured towards the men in the car park. He returned to Petherick Road, got into a stationary vehicle approximately 20 minutes later with a backpack, and later came back in a taxi at about 7.15am dressed in a dressing gown and carrying a black rucksack. The firearm was never recovered.
Lawless’s criminal history includes a 10-month sentence for making threats with an offensive weapon in a public place in January 2023, and a five-year-four-month sentence for wounding with intent in July 2025 after he “threw boiling hot sugar water over his cellmate, causing significant injuries” while incarcerated.
Defence and Sentencing
Charles Lander, defending, told the court that Lawless had experienced the loss of his grandmother earlier that week. He said: “It is accepted that Mr Forbes is an entirely innocent victim of the defendant’s behaviour. This young defendant is clearly facing a lengthy period of imprisonment. Clearly, probation and the Prison Service are trying to work with him. He is a defendant who suffers with a number of issues. His parents have come to court. They have been highly supportive throughout these proceedings. They express their utmost sympathy to Mr Forbes and his family. They cannot believe that they are in a position where they are sitting in a courtroom listening to these serious acts committed by their son. The defendant has taken the opportunity of finding trusted employment as wing cleaner in prison. Clearly, there have been some concerns about how he has behaved in prison. There have been significant issues with his mental health. His position in prison has been made more difficult by threats that are being made. Obviously, the defendant dealt with one threat in a highly disproportionate way by obtaining a weapon in February of last year. He is still relatively young. He is determined, when released from prison, that he is going to leave Liverpool, leave the various associates who he stupidly hung around with in the younger part of his life and, ultimately, be a member of society his parents can be proud of.”
Lawless admitted wounding with intent and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life; a previous charge of attempted murder was ordered to lie on the file. Appearing via video link from HMP Liverpool, he wiped his eyes with his blue Montirex t-shirt as Judge Garrett Byrne sentenced him to 18 years and six months in prison, with an additional four years on licence. Passing sentence, Judge Byrne stated: “Mr Forbes was a totally innocent member of the public. He did not know you. He did not associate with you or any of your friends. He had nothing to do with any criminal group. He was simply walking to a chip shop to get some food. You left your home carrying a loaded shotgun in a plastic bag. Your face was covered. You intended to shoot someone as part of some petty, tit-for-tat retaliation. You showed the weapon off to your friends. What happened next has been captured quite clearly on CCTV. You pointed the weapon at Mr Forbes and discharged it once at close proximity. Mr Forbes managed to drag himself back to his home address, badly injured and covered in blood. He sustained serious injuries to both legs below the knees. His injuries required several bouts of surgery. Mr Forbes speaks to both the ongoing physical and psychological harm that he experiences. He can no longer do many things he previously enjoyed doing and had to give up his job. The unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition are of grave concern to society. They can be used to maim and kill. Innocent members of the public, as in this case, are put at risk of serious injury or worse. There are permanent and irreversible injuries here. A significant aggravating feature is your previous convictions. I find no particularly compelling mitigation.”
