BY JAMES SIMONS
A shooting in which a man was blasted in the face with a sawn off shotgun has led to the arrest and conviction of a drug gang at Leeds. Four men were jailed on Wednesday after police found a stack of heroine, and crack cocaine after they later searched a house in Brander Street, Gipton.
The drugs operation made on August 7 last year, occurred as officers made inquiries in the hours after Adeel Ahmed from Leeds was left with 80 pellet wounds to his chest, after the shotgun shooting by Luke Callaghan. Lewis Callaghan, known as ‘Meathead’ – was sentenced to 30-year imprisonment after being found guilty of attempted murder at a trial earlier this year. Four other gang members from Leeds were handed jail sentences totaling 22 years for drug offenses.
Gang Convicted
Leeds court heard Lewis Callaghan, 21, and Michael Ojengbede, 19, were arrested after being stopped in a taxi by officers investigating the shotgun shooting. Lewis was in possession of a knife and ‘business cards’ linking him to a drug supply phone line. Ojengbede ran from the vehicle and threw away two mobile phones containing messages about supply as well as an “accounting record” of people who owed the gang money. The Leeds court heard Athelia King, 23, was the tenant of the property. She has previous convictions for drugs trafficking. Her brother Garnett King, 20, was also involved in the illegal business. His fingerprints were found on various items, including a food mixer.
Drugs offences that led to sentencing
Lewis Callaghan and Athelia King were found guilty of three offences of possession of a class A drug with intent to supply. Lewis was also sentenced for other offences including three offences of breaching are restraining order, criminal damage, assault and affray. which has led to him being jailed for seven years. A mobile phone with details and contacts of those owing money was discovered by police on the streets after it was thrown out of a taxi by the gang during the police sting.