Four men have been given a combined total of more than 34 years' imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court following a serious organised crime investigation involving firearms, drugs and violence in the Kirkdale area of Liverpool.

Johnathon Ford, 32, of Lincoln Crescent, Bootle, Thomas Beverage, 24, of Miranda Road South, Kirkdale, Kieran Ingle, 27, of Alderney Road, Vauxhall, and Reece Sands, 23, of Bigdale Road, Kirkby, pleaded guilty to a range of firearms and drug offences before being sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on 27 July 2026.

The case involved multiple gun shots being fired on a residential road in Liverpool on 26 July 2025. Firearms, ammunition, and Class A drugs were later found near the home of one of the defendants.

The successful prosecution was supported by evidence linking the defendants to the firearms and criminal activity, helping to remove dangerous weapons from the streets and improve public safety across Merseyside.

Specialist Prosecutor Olivia Travis, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire Complex Casework Unit, said: “This was serious, organised crime played out in a residential community, involving guns, drugs and violence.

“The defendants behaved recklessly, putting the public at risk and without thought as to the ramifications of their actions. The potential consequences could have been significantly worse.

“These men will now spend a long time behind bars, and this conviction sends a clear message that the Crown Prosecution Service is determined to ensure firearms and drug offenders face the consequences of their actions.”

Three bullets were discharged towards an opening in a gate on Wulstan Street in Kirkdale, Liverpool from a stolen BMW driven on cloned registration plates occupied by Johnathon Ford, Thomas Beverage and Kieran Ingle.

As the BMW drove past Wulstan Street, two men could be seen standing in front of the gate before entering the alleyway behind it. This sighting caused the group to turn the BMW around and fire three shots where the men had previously stood.

After the shooting, the stolen BMW was returned to a farm in Lancashire where it had been stored. When police later searched a secure bin store near Ford’s home, they found a Glock self-loading pistol, a Taurus revolver, ammunition, heroin and crack cocaine with an estimated street value of £50,000.

Forensic testing linked the defendants Ford, Beverage and a fourth man, Reece Sands to the firearms.