Gunman nabbed after bungled Bromley shooting linked to secret affair
Hitman fires twice but fails to kill
On 20 October 2020, Firad Muhammed, 28, from Ealing, showed up at a home in Chingley Close, Bromley. He knocked on the door, and when a 32-year-old man answered, Muhammed blasted two shots at his legs before fleeing the scene. Miraculously, the victim survived.
Shock motive uncovered through phone sleuthing
The Met Police had no clear motive at first. Detectives Ben Briselden and Imran Hansraj launched an intense phone investigation. Their breakthrough came when they uncovered flirtatious and romantic Facebook messages between Muhammed and the victim’s wife. Shocking texts revealed Muhammed regretted coming to the victim’s home and wished he had carried out the attack elsewhere in Bromley.
Judge slams bungled shooting, praises cops’ detective work
Muhammed was arrested and charged with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. After a July trial, the Inner London Crown Court sentenced him to 28 years in jail, with at least two thirds to be served behind bars.
Detective Constable Ben Briselden said: “Muhammed travelled to the victim’s home with the intention to kill him. There were no leads at the start. We built the case through detailed mobile phone analysis. This could easily have been a murder investigation. I hope the sentence helps the victim move on knowing Muhammed won’t be out of prison any time soon.”
Judge Ian Darling praised the officers’ dogged work at sentencing:
“They started from scratch and painstakingly built the case. No one wanted to tell the truth, leaving police in the dark. The intense trawl of phone contacts was slow and thankless but finally bore fruit. The investigators deserve credit for their impressive efforts.”
DC Briselden and DC Hansraj received commendations for cracking the case despite the challenges.
