Two Middleton men jailed after shooting Prestwich father with sawn-off shotgun

Two Middleton men have been jailed after a father was shot in his own home in Prestwich.

Dominic Burke (07/07/1997) of Whinfell Drive, Middleton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, section 18 assault and unlawful possession of a firearm, receiving a 15-year prison sentence. 

Anthony Ward (28/12/1988) of Brathwaite Road, Langley was found guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary. He received a sentence of nine years and six months in prison.

Burke, Ward and a third accomplice were handed a total of 35 years and six months on Tuesday 30 October 2018.

Steven O’Donnell (18/09/1997) of Carr Avenue, Prestwich was found guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and has been jailed for 11 years.

 

On 27 November 2017, at around 8.30pm, Ward and Burke forced their way into the 51-year-old’s home on Glebelands Road in Prestwich.

As he was leaving his bedroom he was met by the men who were both brandishing weapons and had their faces covered.

The pair never said anything before Burke shot him with a sawn-off shotgun.

The force threw the man back into his bedroom where he locked himself in and called for an ambulance.

Specialist firearms officers attended and secured the house before breaking down the door and finding the victim on the floor.

He was taken to hospital where he underwent several operations.

The men never demanded anything from the victim and were in and out of the house in less than a minute.

An investigation was launched under code-name Op Bermuda. Following CCTV enquiries, it was established the men had been to the house about 7.30pm that night where Burke was seen to load a gun.

They then left but returned again around 8.20pm to carry out the shooting.

A white Fiat 500 was also crucial in pinning the men to the crime. The car had been seen circling the area in the run up to the shooting and further work placed O’Donnell as the getaway driver.

Telephone work also uncovered how the conspiracy communicated, while several separate meet ups were also arranged.

Despite uncovering and identifying who the culprits were, detectives have never been able to establish the motive behind the attack.

Detective Constable Simon Jones, from Bury CID, said: “An innocent father was at home waiting to leave to collect his children when he was faced with the terrifying image of a gun-wielding intruder.

“Despite being shot and in unimaginable pain, he somehow managed to lock himself away and alert emergency services. From the moment this awful attack took place, through to sentencing today, he has shown immense courage and bravery.

“At the time, this incident understandably sent shockwaves through the community and it was our job to make sure we found the men responsible, and as soon as possible.

“This has been an extensive investigation where we have trawled through CCTV, phone records and messages, all to pin point their involvement.

“These men have now been held to account for their reckless actions and I hope this provides some relief to the victim and his family.”