Two men whose plot to shoot someone ended when one accidentally shot the other have been jailed for a combined 15 years. Adam Liaqat, 19, and Asad Khan, 23, were waiting in a stolen vehicle in the early hours of 23 November when Liaqat's loaded gun discharged, striking Khan in the leg. The plot unravelled when Khan took himself to hospital; suspicious medical staff alerted police, leading to an investigation that revealed the men had meticulously planned the shooting, acquiring firearms and ammunition, stealing a car and fitting false plates.

The incident occurred just before 4:30am in Smethwick, West Midlands. Police discovered messages between Khan and others indicating they intended to shoot a specific target, though that person's identity remains unknown. Khan, who suffered life-changing injuries, was sentenced to 13 years for firearm possession with intent to endanger life, drug possession and other offences. Liaqat was detained following a separate police pursuit in December and will be sentenced at a later date. A third associate, Yakuba Sawaneh, 19, was jailed for 42 months for drug offences including possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply; the weapon used in the shooting has never been recovered.