Man who shot couple's car jailed for attempted murder

Daniel Harris, 39, was found guilty of the shooting in Broadfield, in July last year, following a trial at Hove Crown Court yesterday (March 9).

He also found guilty of possession of a shotgun with intent to cause fear of violence, assault and criminal damage.

He had denied all four charges, police said.

The court heard that Harris had approached a couple who he knew in a car in Jersey Road on July 23 at 8.50am.

A 35-year-old man got out of the car but after feeling scared he got back into the car, police said.

Harris then fired a gun into the car while the couple were inside.

The couple drove off and the 31-year-old woman passenger in the car suffered a burst eardrum and the gun shot damaged a fence, a police spokesman said.

The man was uninjured.

Police believe that the shooting happened as a result of an argument between the two men.

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Carr said: “This was a violent and frightening attack on an innocent couple who feared for their lives. The incident took place in a densely populated area of Crawley and I think that we are lucky that no one was seriously injured.

“This was a challenging and complex investigation due to the fact that the victims did not initially come to the police. The sentence sends out a strong message about the stance that Sussex Police take on gun crime and violent acts like these will not be tolerated in our community.”

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