Nathan Higham vaulted over garden fences to escape police after he opened fire on a car
Merseyside Police has said reckless behaviour will not be tolerated after a “stupid argument” descended into gunfire before those responsible tried to bury the evidence of their guilt. Gunman Nathan Higham fired three bullets at a car in a field following a dispute then “legged it”, vaulting over the garden fences of nearby houses in a bid to escape.
His accomplices, brothers Craig and Kyle Jones, meanwhile set about covering their tracks, heading for remote farmland armed with a spade and apparently abandoning their clothing submerged beneath the soil. One of the siblings went on to flee Merseyside for Scotland the following day.
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday afternoon, Thursday, that a member of the public called Merseyside Police anonymously to report gunshots being fired on Chesterfield Drive in Kirkby shortly after 8.45pm on July 14 2023. During her 999 call, the woman reported: “There’s a white car driving round on the field and boys running away in balaclavas.
“There were three, all in black with balaclavas on. They went onto the field and they shot about three times. I don’t know whether it was a real gun or what. I just saw them pull them out their pocket and then three bangs, and then they legged it.”
This vehicle was then said to have driven onto the grassy land, at which stage one of the three masked men reportedly turned and pulled a handgun from his pocket. He then raised the firearm and pointed it at the car before the witness heard “three loud bangs”.
The shooter then ran away along Chesterfield Drive and onto Ebony Way. His two accomplices meanwhile split off in a different direction and fled onto Ivory Drive.
CCTV enquiries later revealed the gunman had jumped over a fence into the garden of a property on Grantham Road which shared a back fence with Higham’s mum’s partner’s home. The 22-year-old, of no fixed abode, was caught on camera exiting the latter address around 10 minutes later and entering a taxi which travelled to his mum’s house on Ashfield Crescent.
Further CCTV enquiries meanwhile showed the gunman’s accomplices continuing on foot towards Ashwood Close, with a grey Peugeot 308 seen leaving the area moments later and travelling two miles to land off Rock Lane in Melling. Here, two males were seen exiting the car and walking towards a field and out of view before one briefly returned to collect a spade in his left hand and “another object” in his right.
All three defendants admitted possession of a prohibited of a prohibited firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of ammunition without a certificate. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, they showed no reaction as they were jailed for five years each.
Turning to the Jones brothers, the judge added: “You are both of previous good character and I have read references showing a better side to your personalities, including your employment records. You both had a very difficult family background, losing both parents at an early age.
“Craig Jones has the mitigation of his behaviour during these difficult years and the contribution he made to the family in rearing his younger siblings. Kyle Jones has the mitigation of his youth. You both have had, not surprisingly, struggles with your mental health, and I take that into account.”
Following the hearing Detective Inspector Chris Clark said: “The risks of unlicensed firearms and firing them in a residential area is dangerous and reckless behaviour that will never be tolerated by Merseyside Police. We are determined to rid the streets of firearms and find all those prepared to store, carry and use them.
“They are criminals who do not care about the fear and devastation their actions can wreak on our communities and they have no place here in Merseyside. We conduct warrants, stop checks and searches in those areas where people tell us these offenders operate, so keep telling us what you know so that we can take positive action.”
Anyone who knows anything about Illegal firearms in Merseyside, should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X @MerPolCC or Facebook ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’.
