'Let battle commence': Trio GUILTY of attempted murder after teenager shot in the street in Salford

Three men have been found guilty of attempted murder after a teenager was shot in the midst of a feud in Salford. A 16-year-old boy was blasted in broad daylight as a dispute between two rival factions in Eccles spilled out onto the streets.

He cried out in pain and shouted ‘I’ve been shot!’, in chilling video footage. Kyle Meighan, 31, fired two bullets at the boy while a pillion passenger on a motorbike.

It was ‘only by good luck’ that the boy survived, Manchester Crown Court heard. The teenage victim was also riding a motorbike at the time, at about 2.10pm on Sunday, March 19, last year.

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One bullet missed but the other was a 'direct hit', entering his shoulder and lodging next to his spine. Meighan, Aiden Broadhurst, 29; and Jieh Sufyaan, 25; were all found guilty of attempted murder after a two month trial. A fourth man Andrew Whiteside, 29, was acquitted of all charges.

Prosecutors said that ‘trouble’ had been brewing between the rival factions for ‘some months’ prior to the shooting, including a car being set on fire. About half an hour before the blaze was reported to police, Meighan texted a friend to say: “Let battle commence.”

Prosecutors said that the 16-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was spotted out in the city while riding a motorbike and wearing a balaclava. John Elvidge KC, prosecuting, said the defendants may have believed it was someone else on the bike, but claimed they had a ‘shared intention’ for the biker to be ‘shot and killed’.

He said that within ‘40 minutes’ a motorbike and a gun with live ammunition were sourced. Meighan got on a motorcycle being driven by Aiden Broadhurst.

They chased the bike being driven