A FATHER of six has been remanded in custody by a judge after a jury found him guilty of a drive-by shooting in Newsome earlier this year.

Armed officers were involved in a police operation after a single shot was fired from a car at a male pedestrian in the Ruth Street area in March.

No-one was injured in the shooting and 36-year-old Kevin Wilson, of Oakenbank Crescent, Lowerhouses, had gone on trial after denying charges of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and affray.

The intended victim, Godwin Bartholomew, said he did not see who fired the shot which caused him to duck as he walked along the street in broad daylight on the afternoon of March 26.

But after hearing evidence from other witnesses a jury of 10 women and two men yesterday returned their unanimous guilty verdicts.

At the start of Wilson’s trial at Bradford Crown Court last week the jury heard how Mr Bartholomew had hit Wilson during a confrontation between the two men in the Lidl car park in Aspley minutes earlier.

Wilson, who was in a silver Lexus, said he had followed a car containing Mr Bartholomew and another man so he could get the registration number.

He denied firing a shot from his vehicle that afternoon.

Police sealed off streets in Newsome immediately after the shooting but their inquiry was hampered by a fire at the disused Newsome Mills minutes later.

After the jury returned their guilty verdicts Wilson’s barrister Kevin Toomey conceded that a prison sentence for the offences was inevitable, but he requested bail on his client’s behalf so he could spend time with his children before being locked up.

But Judge John Potter, who granted Wilson bail at an earlier court hearing, said he had now been convicted of very serious offences and had to expect a significant custodial sentence.

The judge ordered a pre-sentence report on Wilson and said his sentence hearing would take place on September 5.