Three men found guilty over shooting on Poplars Avenue

The victim was shot in the leg on the doorstep of his home on Poplars Avenue in Orford on the evening of April 24 2020 by a gunman posing as a pizza delivery driver.

This afternoon, Friday, Aaron Bretherton, Lewis Fitzpatrick and Anthony Morris were all convicted of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm in connection with the attack by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.

Their trial lasted just over two weeks, with jurors having begun their deliberations on Wednesday afternoon.

Detective chief inspector Mike Evans, of Cheshire Police’s serious and organised crime unit, said: “This was a coordinated attack that involved weeks of sophisticated planning and preparation, with each individual fulfilling a specific role to ensure the hit was carried out.

“However, this didn’t match their actions on the night of the shooting as they were far from sophisticated in the way that they carried out the attack.

“Bretherton shot an innocent man on his own doorstep, causing life changing injuries – the victim has undergone several operations using metal pins and plates, which means he will never be able to walk the same again.

“The driver Morris used one of his employer’s vehicles and concealed a mobile phone in a hide, which was crucial to the investigation as it enabled us to identify Bretherton and Fitzpatrick and place them at the scene through telecoms analysis.

“They thought they were untouchable, but instead they made mistakes which led to detectives unravelling their plot and taking a viable firearm out of circulation.

“While justice has been served, I hope this is a reminder to those who enter into a world of organised crime that it can also lead to a life of fear and violence.”

Jurors had previously heard that David Barnes answered a knock at the door shortly after 8.45pm on the night in question.

The 55-year-old discovered Bretherton stood outside the address holding pizza boxes, although he had not ordered a takeaway.

He became suspicious as his stepson Liam Byrne Jnr – the intended target of the shooting – had been warned by police days earlier that he was ‘in danger of being attacked’, and immediately shut the door again.

As he did so, the 24-year-old defendant opened fire before fleeing.

One gunshot hit the floor, while another bullet travelled through the door and hit Mr Barnes in the lower right leg.

Byrne Jnr, who is believed to be an associate of the Cullens and was previously jailed for four years in 2016 after being convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin when aged 22, was not home at the time of the incident.

Fitzpatrick, 26, helped to arrange the assault and attended a reconnaissance mission alongside serving solider Bretherton in the late afternoon of the same day.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Morris supplied the vehicle – a works van from the garage where he was employed – used to transport the trio between their native Liverpool and the crime scene.

The court heard that they were acting on behalf of Jamie Rothwell, who was arrested in Amsterdam in December over his alleged involvement.

He is said to have given his orders over EncroChat, an encrypted messaging service used by organised criminals before it was cracked by police last year, and offered up a bounty of £10,000.

Through these messages, detectives discovered a second planned hit on Charlie Cullen – Leon and Anthony Cullen’s father.

Leon Cullen is suspected of being the head of a large-scale gang involved in the supply of drugs and firearms.

The 33-year-old was extradited to the UK from the United Arab Emirates last week following his arrest in Dubai in January last year, which came after nearly two years on the run as Warrington’s most wanted man.

Twin brother Anthony, of Colemere Close in Padgate, was handed 27 years behind bars in 2019 over the conspiracy.

Hours after the Poplars Avenue shooting, another unidentified conspirator posing as a pizza man attended a property on Sinclair Avenue in Longford where their dad had previously lived.

But the caller left after the new occupant informed him that Mr Cullen had since moved.

Morris was arrested when his van was pulled over by police in Southport two days after the incident, while Bretherton and Fitzpatrick were detained at their respective homes in May 2020.

A Glock 19 9mm handgun was recovered from the extractor of the cooker in Bretherton’s apartment, while ammunition and a magazine were found in the fan in the bathroom.

But this pistol is not believed to have been the weapon used during the shooting.

Gunpowder residue was also discovered on a Prada jacket and a backpack inside the flat, as was £5,000 of cash and a smoke grenade.

A further £4,000 was recovered from Fitzpatrick’s address.

Superintendent Simon Meegan said: “The shooting brought fear to the local community and understandably caused a significant amount of concern.

“While the investigation was ongoing we carried out high-visibility patrols in the area and spoke to residents to provide reassurance as much as we could.

“Thankfully, following a fantastic investigation these men were caught and the danger they posed taken away from our streets.”

The defendants will be sentenced at a later date.

Cheshire police and crime commissioner David Keane added: “This must have been a terrifying attack, and my thoughts are with the man who has been left with life-changing injuries.

“I want to take this opportunity to commend the detectives involved in bringing these individuals to justice and protecting the community from serious and organised crime.

“I also want to acknowledge the work of local officers who sought to provide reassurance to the victim, his family and to residents who were fearful of what happened.”