Eight Men Convicted in Cross-Country Gun Conspiracy
All eight defendants caught up in a daring firearms conspiracy spanning London and the North East have been convicted. Five men linked to the plot to shoot at a South Shields home have already been jailed, with three others set to face sentencing soon.
Plot Hatched to Send Violent Warning
Paul Momat and his right-hand man Joseph Millward masterminded the scheme to intimidate a rival. They recruited London criminals Colin Crawley and James Townsend to orchestrate the daylight shooting, while Caspian Bhinder acted as the go-between.
After weeks of planning, shooter Stefan Simpson and accomplice Ashlee McKenzie travelled 300 miles from London to the North East. On September 16, 2021, Simpson fired a handgun at a property on Heaton Gardens moments after the resident stepped outside.
The pair stayed in Gateshead using accommodation and a stolen VW car arranged by Tyran Baglin. Police cracked the case by sifting through hundreds of hours of CCTV, thousands of calls, and encrypted messages.
Police Raids Uncover Weapons and Cash
Detectives uncovered the hideout on Rayleigh Grove, Gateshead. Concealed car keys found behind a TV opened the stolen VW, which contained the handgun used in the attack inside the glove box.
Northumbria Police joined forces with the Met to carry out dawn raids across South Tyneside and London. They seized phones, weapons, and large cash sums — including £30,000 from Crawley’s home and £6,000 linked to Momat.
Jail Terms Handed Down, Serious Crime Orders Imposed
- Paul Momat, 36, West Boldon – 9 years (8 years for firearms conspiracy plus 1 year for refusing to disclose phone info)
- Colin Crawley, 46, Croydon – 6 years 5 months
- Stefan Simpson, 24, London – 7 years 3 months
- Ashlee McKenzie, 33, Lambeth – 6 years
- Tyran Baglin, 24, no fixed abode – 3 years 8 months
Momat, Crawley, and Millward were also slapped with Serious Crime Prevention Orders, restricting their phone use and vehicle access to curb future offending.
Detective Superintendent Jane Fairlamb, leading the investigation, said: “This was an absolutely appalling shooting, the result of weeks of careful planning by co-conspirators. While thankfully no one was hurt, such behaviour is totally unacceptable. We hope these sentences send a strong message: serious violence will not be tolerated on our streets.”
Fairlamb praised the teamwork of Northumbria Police, Metropolitan Police, Thames Valley Police, NEROCU, and criminal justice partners for bringing the case to court. She added, “Under Operation Sentinel, we will continue swift, robust action against serious violent crime.”
The remaining three defendants – James Townsend, Joseph Millward, and Caspian Bhinder – will be sentenced in the coming weeks following their convictions for conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to cause fear of violence.
