Two Men Jailed Over Leeds Gun Shooting
Two men have been locked up following a probe into a shooting in Leeds that left a man injured. West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team kicked off Operation Pearsea after a 31-year-old man was shot in the leg in Middleton back in January.
Shotgun Blast in Thorpe Road
The victim was hit by a shotgun fired at him on Thorpe Road, sparking a full-scale investigation. Officers hunted down leads and raided a property on Vicarage Avenue, Gildersome. There, they uncovered a loaded handgun hidden in the garden — a converted blank-firing pistol loaded with ammunition.
DNA Evidence Nails Ryan Semeniuk and Otis Mitchell
Ryan Semeniuk, 28, of Trentham Grove, Beeston, was arrested and charged with firearm and ammunition possession. Forensic tests found his DNA on the weapon and linked fellow suspect Otis Mitchell, 22, from Vicarage Avenue, Gildersome, to the gun and ammo too.
Semeniuk copped to the offences at Leeds Crown Court, while Mitchell insisted he was innocent but was found guilty at trial.
Heavy Jail Terms for Firearm Crimes
- Otis Mitchell got six years for possessing the firearm, served alongside a three-year sentence for ammo possession.
- Ryan Semeniuk was handed five years and five months for the firearm charge with a concurrent three years for ammo.
No one has yet been charged directly over the January shooting itself.
“Illegally-held firearms, like the gun recovered in this investigation, have only one deadly purpose in the hands of criminals,” said Detective Chief Inspector Vanessa Rolfe.
“We remain firmly committed to taking these weapons and those who use them off our streets. Gun crime causes serious harm and spreads fear in our communities. These convictions send a clear warning about the heavy penalties for getting involved in this crime.”
“Firearm incidents will always receive the highest level of investigation to bring offenders to justice.”
