Four men have been sentenced to a combined total of nearly 35 years in prison for a drive-by shooting in Kirkdale, Liverpool, during which three bullets were fired from a stolen BMW towards a metal gate. Two men had been standing in the alleyway moments earlier but dived behind the gate as the shots were discharged.
The Shooting
Liverpool Crown Court heard that on July 26, 2025, Thomas Beverage, 25, Johnathon Ford, 32, Keiran Ingle, 27, and Reece Sands, 23, were involved in the incident on Wulstan Street. The stolen BMW, modified with an Irish registration plate and a thin film to obscure the front plate, was used to fire a Glock pistol. Three bullets were fired, with two lodging in the gate and one lost.
Judge Stuart Driver KC said: "Two men were close to the path of the bullets which were discharged in a residential street. This city has a terrible history of innocent victims being hit by stray bullets."
Planning and Preparation
The prosecution described how preparations began days earlier. Ford booked Beverage a hotel room in Birmingham for the night of July 25, later extended to cover the shooting. Ford and Ingle travelled to the West Midlands to collect Beverage. Their Hyundai Santa Fe was seen passing Wulstan Street at around 6pm, with a front seat passenger making a gun gesture. They then drove to Walkden House Farm in Bickerstaffe, where the BMW was stored. Sands' grey Audi A3 also travelled to the farm at the same time.
After the BMW left for Wulstan Street, the Audi returned to Kirkby. The BMW performed a U-turn and the shooting was carried out. The prosecution could not prove which of the three defendants inside the car fired the gun.
Discovery of Weapons and Drugs
After the shooting, the BMW was returned to the farm. Ford, Ingle, and Beverage were later seen near Ford's mother's home in Bootle. Beverage was seen carrying an object that was no longer in his possession when he re-entered the car. Police executed a search warrant on August 27, 2025, and found a Sports Direct bag containing a Glock self-loading pistol, a Taurus revolver, ammunition, and class A drugs—596g of crack cocaine and 46.9g of heroin, with a street value of at least £50,000.
DNA analysis linked Sands to the Glock's internal parts, Ford to the magazine port and handle, and Ingle to the bag's handle. Traces of Ford's DNA were also found on the BMW's steering wheel.
Sentences
Ford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, two counts of conspiracy to possess a firearm, and conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine. He was jailed for 13 years and eight months with an additional two years on licence. Family members were seen in tears.
Beverage admitted conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, two counts of conspiracy to possess a firearm, and possession of ammunition without a certificate. He received eight years and four months with an extended licence of one year and eight months.
Ingle pleaded guilty to the same firearm conspiracies and possession of ammunition. He was imprisoned for seven-and-a-half years with an additional two-and-a-half years on licence.
Sands pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess a firearm. He appeared close to tears as he was jailed for five years, wiping his eyes with his t-shirt as he was led to the cells.
Shouts of "love you" and "see you later lad" were heard from the public gallery as the men were taken from the dock.
Judge's Remarks
Judge Driver ruled that Ford, Beverage, and Ingle were dangerous offenders. He said: "Maximum fear was intended, and there was significant planning." He added that each posed a high or very high risk of serious harm to the public and imposed extended determinate sentences to protect the public.
