A teenager has been found guilty of firing a bullet through the window of a home where a mother lived with her 10-month-old baby and elderly mother. Jama Yusuf discharged seven gunshots towards two men while cycling through the streets of Toxteth, also firing rounds into the brickwork of another house and a parked van.
Police Interaction
When police came knocking two days later, Yusuf reportedly responded: "Was it a bad shooting? Did anyone get hurt?" CCTV footage showed Yusuf wearing clothing matching the bike rider, rolling a cigarette, and buying milk from a store earlier that evening. He denied being the assailant and stood trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Conviction
Yusuf was unanimously convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of ammunition without a certificate, and two counts of criminal damage on Wednesday. He showed no reaction as the verdict was returned after four hours and five minutes of deliberations.
Judge Ian Harris said: "I have ordered a pre-sentence report to explore your background. That will assist me, as well as mitigation from your counsel, in relation to the length of sentence that is to be imposed. It will be a significant custodial sentence."
Shooting Details
The jury heard the seven gunshots were discharged by the cyclist as he rode along Millennium Road, Seaport Street, and Kingsley Road shortly after midnight on October 5 last year, firing in the direction of two men who fled on foot and on another bicycle. Steven Swift, for the crown, told the court one bullet embedded itself into the living room wall of Ms Hiba Abdi's home on Kingsley Road, where she resides with her mother and 10-month-old baby. Her mother was sitting on a sofa under the window when she heard a scream and thought something had been thrown at the window. On inspection, a small hole was found in the blind and curtain, and a bullet had gone through, missing her.
Another bullet damaged the brickwork of an address on Seaport Street, another damaged the rear door of a Peugeot Boxer van, and there was further damage to metal shutters on Granby Street. Crime scene investigators recovered seven spent bullet casings and five live 9mm rounds.
CCTV Evidence
CCTV linked Yusuf to the incident. Footage from a police officer's body-worn camera in August 2024 showed Yusuf wearing a dark Rab coat with his hood up, matching the gunman when he was seen rolling a cigarette and buying milk earlier on the evening of the shooting. He was also seen making a gun gesture with his hand while cycling past the shop on a red bike shortly before midnight. After making his purchase, he returned home before leaving again minutes before the shooting.
Mr Swift added: "Just after nine minutes after midnight, the gunshots are heard. You may think that multiple discharges of a gun, aimed towards two individuals, demonstrates the clearest intention to endanger the lives of those individuals." Further footage showed Yusuf returning home at 12.11am, leaving again in a change of clothing, and shopping with his mother at Footasylum the following day.
Arrest and Sentencing
On October 7, officers conducting house-to-house enquiries visited Yusuf's home. When asked for access to his Ring doorbell camera, he replied: "Well, wasn't it all the way over on Kingsley?" After being told police needed footage to trace the suspect, he asked: "Was it a bad shooting? Did anyone get hurt?" Mr Swift said this interaction was significant and led to enquiries. Yusuf handed himself in on October 9 and made no comment in interviews. He opted not to give evidence.
Judge Harris, discharging the jury, said: "It is never easy to make a decision on someone you do not know that you know will have certain consequences, but our system of justice simply could not operate without jurors performing really difficult tasks, day in, day out. This was not an easy case." Yusuf will be sentenced on September 4 and was remanded into custody.
