Police at the scene where three teenagers were shot in Hamstead Road, Handsworth, this morning, February 25

Birmingham gang 9Boyz 'deliberately chose church wake for drive-by murder attempt' - trial told

Modou Leigh, 21, stands accused of attempted murder after three men were injured at a wake held in memory of stab victim Akeem Bailey

by · Birmingham Live

Birmingham gang members 'deliberately chose' a wake at a church hall as the location for a drive-by shooting where three men were hurt, a trial was told. Modou Leigh, said to be affiliated with the 9Boyz gang, stands accused of three counts of attempted murder after "gang warfare played out on Birmingham's streets."

The 21-year-old, from Victoria Road, Aston, is alleged to have been driving the Nissan Qashqai involved in a shooting at St. Mary's Church Hall in February last year. Four shots could be heard as a self-loading pistol, thought to be a converted blank-firing gun, was discharged into a crowd attending a wake for stab victim Akeem Bailey.

Leigh's friend Meshaq Berryman, described as 'the shooter', has already been convicted, with jurors told he would not be part of the trial. Trouble flared on February 24, 2023 when "members of the 9Boyz gang shot at members of the Armed Response gang", Birmingham Crown Court heard yesterday (Oct 14).

Opening the case, prosecutor Lisa Hancox told the court: "Four shots were fired from a Nissan Qashqai, they were fired at a crowd of people outside St Mary's Church Hall where there for a wake following a funeral that afternoon.

"This was not a random act. The timing and the location was deliberately chosen. This was gang warfare playing out on the streets of Birmingham. The prosecution says Mr Leigh was the driver and his friend was the shooter in the rear of the Qashqai.

"They both played an integral part in the attempted murders, they almost succeeded, three men were injured." The wake of Mr Bailey, who was himself unlawfully killed in a phone row, was chosen as the victim's brother was "known to have been affiliated with the Armed Response gang", jurors were told.

"I start with the reason behind the shooting," Ms Hancox continued. "The prosecution say that Mr Leigh is a member of the 9Boyz gang. They are bitter rivals of Armed Response. The rivalry behind the two gangs has a history of violence, including firearms being discharged and fatalities.

"We will hear in this case how gang members often wear a particular clothing, use particular hand signals and about the type of music, called drill music." Jurors were told Leigh himself has "appeared" in such drill music videos posted to YouTube.

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"Mr Leigh was known as Lex of M Loose. Their membership was a way of life for them and in being part of the 9Boyz gang, they were in rivalry with Armed Response," the prosecutor added.

"It would have been known there was a good chance that the funeral - and wake after - would be attended by members of the Armed Response. Two of the three men shot were members of the Armed Response."

Step-by-step CCTV tracking the movements of both Leigh, and Berryman were then shown to the jury, from the moment the pair met up in Lozells, to their "last sighting" before the shooting.

Ms Hancox added: "The prosecution say Mr Leigh was with Mr Berryman before and after [the shooting]. The vehicle from which the shooting took place was a grey Nissan Qashqai. It [the car] had been noticed by one of the locals on Summer Croft as it wasn't usually parked there."

Leigh, wearing a hoodie emblazoned with a "distinctive" Paris logo, was shown walking from his Aston home to Berryman's home in Lozells. The last CCTV images of the pair, taken at 5.41pm, show them in Hockley Close - which is close to Summer Croft, the jury were told.

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The cul-de-sac, where the 'stolen' Qashqai was parked, is not covered by CCTV and neither Leigh nor Berryman were "seen anywhere else." Ms Hancox continued: "The Qashqai turned out of Summer Croft and was seen at 5.55pm. The police subsequently tracked its journey on CCTV.

"It was driven to St. Mary's Hall, it made a three point turn deliberately to be in the best position. Four shots were fired before the Qashqai made off. The shooting can be heard on the audio of that footage." The car was then returned to Summer Croft at 6.12pm, the court heard.

After he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, Leigh answered no comment to all questions, the prosecutor said. She added: "Any suspect can choose not to answer and say 'no comment'. You may think that was Mr Leigh's first opportunity to put forward his explanation if he, as he now asserts, was not in the Qashqai.

"He answered no comment to each and every question asked of him. It is the prosecution's case that he is guilty of the three counts of attempted murder. If Mr Leigh was the driver of the Qashqai, he is as responsible as Mr Berryman.

"One could not have operated without the other for the shooting to take place. They were a team." The trial continues.