‘Dangerous’ teenager, 17, jailed after kneecapping man in shooting on Liverpool street

⚖️🚨 A 17-year-old boy from Liverpool has been branded "dangerous" by a judge and jailed after kneecapping a man in a street shooting and for a series of other firearms offences.

Joel Harvey, of Croxteth, was given a 15-year sentence. He must serve 12 and a half years in prison and a further two and a half years on licence.

Harvey was just was 16-years old when he shot Michael Costello in both legs on Prescot Road in Old Swan in a ‘revenge’ attack on December 11, 2021.

The teenager had spotted Mr Costello outside a shop shortly before the shooting. It’s thought Harvey had a grudge against Mr Costello and meant to “teach him a lesson”. So, he went home, armed himself with an automatic pistol and got another man, who was also armed, to take him back to the shop on the back of an e-bike.

Mr Costello was still there, and Harvey fired three shots at him, leaving him with serious injuries to both of his legs.

The teenager was arrested by police in January 2022 after being found hiding in a roof space. He was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, two counts of possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life and one count of possession of ammunition without a firearms certificate.

Sentencing Harvey at Liverpool Crown Court this week, Judge Clement Goldstone said: “The facts of this case would make staggering reading if you were an adult, but it defies belief, even in these times of unparalleled street violence, that someone who was only 16 years old when these offences were committed should be so steeped in gangland culture and be prepared to engage in open warfare on the streets of this great city without any concern or regard for the safety of its citizens.”

👬 Young people in Liverpool have created a series of eye-catching posters and videos for local teenagers to increase awareness of healthy relationships. Liverpool Young Advisors have worked with Liverpool's Safeguarding Children Partnership and the NSPCC.

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