Man jailed after two boys injured in Stoke-on-Trent

A man has been jailed for nine and a half years after two teenage boys were injured in Stoke-on-Trent last year.

Casey John Daniel Flynn, 25, of Great Oak Road, Bignall End, was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Court today (Thursday 25 August) after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possess a shotgun with intent to endanger life, two counts of Section 18 – wounding with intent and one attempted wounding with intent.

Police were called at 10.05pm on Wednesday 27 October 2021 following the incident near to garages on Borrowdale Road, near Spragg House Lane, Norton.

Two boys – aged 13 and 14 – were walking through a residential area of Norton when they saw a man armed with a shotgun. The boys did not know the man. He fired the shotgun twice towards them, injuring both boys. One received 87 pellet wounds down the length of his body. The boys were able to run off and sought help from a nearby address. They were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and were discharged the next day. 

The investigation involved extensive house-to-house enquiries and CCTV was obtained which proved to be crucial to the enquiry. This enabled detectives to track the route taken by the offender both before and after the shooting.

Both boys were interviewed by detectives and provided detailed accounts of what happened to them. It became clear they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and this was a case of mistaken identity.

Along with invaluable information from the public, the suspect was identified as Casey Flynn and he was arrested three days later, on 30 October.

DC Louise Gallimore, the officer in the case, from CID North, said: “This was a very serious but rare incident. The boys were not the intended victims.

“Such was the depth of the investigation there was overwhelming evidence in this case and Flynn pleaded guilty to a number of offences prior to trial.

“The police remain very grateful to those members of the public who assisted and provided the crucial CCTV, and the bravery of the two young victims for their support in this case. It has been a traumatic time for them and their families, and although they are physically recovered, they remain affected by the shock of what happened to them that night.

“We welcome the sentencing today for Flynn and wish the victims well in their ongoing recovery. We thank the community for their support with the investigation and enabling us to achieve justice for the victims and a safer community.”