Drug runner lost '˜half his face' in turf war shooting '“ jurors told

Jamie Sibley, 35, suffered a life-changing head injury in the attack in Athena Avenue, Crookhorn, on February 13 last year when he was shot in the face and head after being lured outside a block of flats.

Mr Sibley needed major reconstructive surgery at Southampton General Hospital following the 1am incident.

Jordan Perry, 27, of Acacia Road, Mitcham, Surrey, Jordan Smith, 22, of Lysander Gardens, Surbiton, London and Ricardo Livingston-Wright, 31, of Selsfield Road, Brighton, are on trial at Winchester Crown Court following the shooting.

They deny attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of a firearm.

Sara Hodgkinson, 32, of Magpie Walk, Waterlooville, is on trial for assisting an offence after she was alleged to set up Mr Sibley who worked as a runner for a network called Air and Tony – a rival gang to the male defendants’ Big G group.

Prosecutor Adam Feest said Mr Sibley was duped into going outside to sell drugs by Hodgkinson when he was ambushed.

Describing the moment Mr Sibley was shot, the prosecutor said he saw two men come from nowhere. ‘[Mr Sibley] saw a man reach into his jacket. He thought it was a weapon but didn’t think it was a gun. He was getting ready for a fight,’ he said.

Mr Sibley was with friend Richard Stanhope at the time, who according to Mr Feest, saw a ‘flash before seeing his friend hit the floor after being shot with half his face blown off’.

Mr Stanhope then rushed to his girlfriend’s house and called 999.

The court was played his call in which he said a man ‘came up and shot him from nowhere’ before pleading for help. ‘He was shot in front of me.’

Other residents heard loud bangs and a car was quickly seen speeding off.

Mr Feest said Perry, Smith and Livingston-Wright travelled down from London to claim the Crookhorn area after a turf war had erupted between the rival gangs. Hodgkinson acted as the bait after ordering drugs off Mr Sibley so no suspicion would be aroused.

‘Mr Sibley was a runner for a drug network and was lured outside his flat by Ms Hodgkinson under the pretext she wanted to buy drugs,’ Mr Feest said.

‘When Mr Sibley opened his door two men emerged from the bushes and shot him in the side of the face and head. They left him for dead bleeding on the floor. It was a revenge attack from one drug network on another.’

‘The three defendants wanted to protect their profitable drug network. It was a statement of their intentions to shoot whoever was working for the rival network – it mattered little who it was.’

(Proceeding)