Bungling hitmen's plot spectacularly backfires after one accidentally shoots accomplice

A pair of bungling gunmen saw their carefully planned attack spectacularly backfire when one accidentally shot his accomplice in the leg.Adam Liaqat, 19, and Asad Khan, 23, had armed themselves and were waiting inside a stolen car in Smethwick in the early hours of November 23.Police later uncovered messages indicating the pair were on their way to shoot somebody, although investigators have never established who their intended target was.The pair had gone to considerable lengths to prepare for the planned attack, acquiring a gun and ammunition before using a stolen Mitsubishi Outlander fitted with false number plates. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say But their preparations fell apart shortly before 4.30am when the firearm accidentally discharged inside the vehicle.Khan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was struck in the leg and suffered life-changing injuries.DC Emily Fowler said: “The pair had clearly put in a lot of pre-planning and preparation as a gun and ammunition had been acquired, and a car stolen and put on false plates.“However, it went wrong when Liaqat appears to have accidentally shot Khan.”The injured Khan then took a taxi to hospital, where he claimed he did not know how he had sustained his wounds.Medical staff became suspicious and alerted police, triggering an investigation by West Midlands Police's Major Crime Team.Khan, of West Bromwich, underwent surgery before being arrested once he was deemed medically fit.Detectives seized his mobile phone and discovered a message between Khan and another person which indicated he and Liaqat had been heading out to carry out a shooting.CRIME - READ THE LATEST:Smirking illegal migrant Deliveroo rider jailed for rape after dragging woman 'like a rag doll'Murderer sentenced to 15 years on the run as police issue urgent appealTeenage asylum seeker jailed for piloting 'mega dinghy' carrying HUNDREDS of illegal migrantsDC Fowler said: “Through our enquiries we established Khan and Liaqat were in the stolen vehicle with a gun. There were messages which indicated they were on their way to shoot someone themselves, although we don't know who that was.“At some point, while the car was parked, the gun has gone off and Khan has been injured and the inside of the vehicle damaged.”Police arrested Liaqat, of Sandwell, on December 2 following a pursuit involving a Honda Accord, which he was driving despite only holding a provisional licence.Passenger Yakuba Sawaneh, of Perry Common, Birmingham, was also inside the vehicle.During the pursuit, Liaqat and Sawaneh threw items from the car including Class A drugs and a burner phone before officers eventually stopped them.A search of Khan's address later uncovered crack cocaine, while the gun involved in the botched plot has never been recovered.Khan has now been jailed for 13 years for possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of cocaine, being carried in a conveyance without authority and driving offences.Sawaneh was jailed for 42 months for possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply, while Liaqat is due to be sentenced at a later date.DC Fowler said: “Lives could have been lost as a result of Liaqat and Khan arming themselves with a gun, including Khan's own.“Illegally-owned weapons in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous.”Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter