Damaged Rolex led to shooting
Reporter: by RICHARD HOOTON
Date published: 05 September 2008
A MAN was shot in the neck in a case of mistaken identity by a gunman seeking revenge for a broken watch.
Three men have been jailed for the drive-by shooting in Glodwick that the victim miraculously survived.
Wesley Blades (22), of Anchor Street, Coldhurst, was jailed for life in February, with a minimum tariff of 10 years, for attempted murder.
Aaron Lever (25), of Owen Fold, Lees, and Amakae Dewar (19), of Bainburgh Clough, Alt, were sentenced for their role at Manchester Crown Square Court yesterday.
Lever was jailed for seven years after admitting possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and assisting an offender, and Dewar received 18 months in a young offenders’ institution for assisting an offender.
The court heard that on September 25 last year, Blades and Lever were involved in a dispute with a group of Asian men at the Super Choice store, Carr House Road.
It was sparked after an Asian man was assaulted and racially abused. As it erupted into violence, Blades was struck on the arm, breaking his Rolex watch.
He was heard to shout: “You have just buried yourself. I’m going to shoot you.”
Blades and Lever got a gun and collected Dewar as they drove around looking for their target.
They came across Cameron Aziz (25) and two friends, who had not been involved in the altercation but were sitting in a car in Orme Street, Glodwick.
Blades fired a shot, which hit the driver’s headrest before lodging in Mr Aziz’s neck.
The trio later went to Oldham Police Station to report the earlier incident and to portray Blades as a victim to avoid him getting caught.
Witnesses identified Blades and the Subaru Impreza that Lever was driving. Police found body armour plates and bullets hidden at Blades’s home.
Keith Harrison, defending, said Lever, of previous good character, did not know the gun was loaded and thought it would only be used to intimidate.
Dewar’s only crime was to enter into discussions about how Blades could avoid detection. He was stunned when the gun was fired.
But Judge Anthony Gee said: “Any offence involving a firearm is always properly regarded as a grave offence and offenders can expect little mercy.”
Det Sgt Jamie Daniels said: “The verdict shows that anyone who uses a gun will be dealt with severely and punished.
“Thanks to the work of officers who identified and arrested these men, they are now where they belong — in prison.
