Dramatic bodycam footage reveals the tense moment West Midlands Police arrested Leon Haughton, 34, the gunman responsible for a chilling shotgun attack in Dudley. The footage, evoking scenes from an action thriller, shows armed officers surrounding Haughton’s vehicle before he calmly exits with his hands raised.
On the early morning of April 6, Haughton tracked his victim—a man in his 20s—by secretly attaching a GPS device to his car. He then ambushed the man in a Dudley car park, shooting him at point-blank range with a sawn-off shotgun before fleeing. Despite severe injuries, the victim managed to reach hospital and survived the attack.
A large-scale police manhunt ensued. Authorities located Haughton’s car in Wolverhampton on April 14. During the arrest, officers found a loaded sawn-off shotgun and 11 rounds of ammunition in the vehicle’s boot—this same weapon had been used in a burglary the previous year.
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At Wolverhampton Crown Court, Haughton was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 32 years in prison. Judge John Edwards highlighted the rising gun crime in the Black Country and Wolverhampton, emphasizing the broader impact on community safety and social cohesion. He condemned Haughton’s cold, calculated attack, describing it as “an execution” carried out without remorse.
The court learned that Haughton had meticulously stalked his victim using GPS trackers and had a history working as an electrician. Despite this, his premeditated violent actions shocked the community. Appearing via video link, Haughton expressed remorse in a letter, admitting his actions were “despicable” and promising to support fellow inmates as a mentor during his sentence.
Detective Inspector Francis Nock of West Midlands Police’s Major Crime Team praised the investigation, citing thorough analysis of CCTV and mobile data that traced Haughton’s movements and uncovered the extent of his planning. The detective emphasized that it was only by sheer luck that the victim survived the shocking attack.