Men Sentenced After Carrying Out Minor Altercations Involving Firearms
Kane Barker (born on 09/01/1990) has been handed a prison term of six years and one month after admitting to possessing a prohibited weapon.
Johnny Joyce (born on 09/11/1990) has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of possessing a prohibited weapon.
In the early hours of Monday, 5th April 2021, the residents of Richmond Road, Failsworth, were startled awake by cries as a man became the victim of a prolonged and violent attack.
Promptly responding to the distress, the police and emergency services arrived to attend to the injured man in his thirties. However, Barker and Joyce had already left the scene.
Following this incident, GMP’s Serious Organised Crime Group launched an investigation, despite the victim initially attributing his injuries to a fall. It became apparent, given the multiple facial and rib fractures, that the victim had endured a ‘pistol whipping’ – a brutal assault involving the firearm’s butt.
On Friday, 30th April, Kane Barker was apprehended by the police. A search of an address linked to Barker revealed a concealed firearm in the basement’s roof space. The weapon was subsequently subjected to blood analysis, which confirmed its connection to the victim.
Detailed scrutiny of a mobile phone seized from Barker’s vehicle exposed a series of incriminating messages and images exchanged between Barker and Johnny Joyce. These communications linked the two to the assault, including a text stating, “f**ing hll you done a proper job on him there boys,” and placing them at Richmond Road during the incident.
