Meshaq Berryman was sat in the back of a stolen Qashqai when he shot four times at a crowd of mourners celebrating the life of a 17-year-old boy who was stabbed to death
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Gunman found guilty of attempted murder at a wake in Birmingham
A gang member who opened fire on a crowd of mourners attending a wake has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 24 years after a judge said the shooting had caused “utter terror”.
Meshaq Berryman, 22, was sat in the back of a stolen Qashqai when he opened fire towards St Mary’s Church Hall in Hamstead Road, Handsworth, Birmingham. His bullets hit two 19-year-olds, one in the chest and another in the foot, an 18-year-old in the knee, and a 14-year-old girl was injured when she was trampled as people fled when they heard the gunshots ring out. Luckily all the gunshot victims survived.
A three week-trial at Birmingham Crown Court heard that the car sped off and was later found abandoned two miles away. The court heard the shooting was not a random act, but “part of a plan to kill.” Berryman was found guilty of three charges of attempted murder and admitted possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and cannabis, after more than 40 wraps of drugs and digital scales were found at his home. Today he was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 24 years.
Judge Melbourne Inman said the case was another of gang violence that had become a “scourge of the city”. Detective Inspector Francis Nock, from West Midlands’ Police’s Major Crime Team, said: “This was a targeted shooting at a gathering of people who had come to pay their respects to a young man who had himself lost his life to violent crime.
“While the young man who died did not have connections to gangs, Berryman believed there would be people linked to gangs at his wake. This could easily have been a triple murder investigation and it’s by luck really that people weren’t killed on that evening.
“We put a huge number of officers into the investigation, to ensure we had a really clear picture of what had happened. CCTV, mobile phone and forensic evidence placed Berryman in the car at the time that the shots were fired and he is now facing many years behind bars. Gun crime causes absolute misery to the families of those who are injured or killed, and can spread fear among residents whose neighbour hoods are impacted.
“Our Major Crime Teams work with local officers to build a clear picture of who is involved in gun crime in an area and take decisive action to get them off the streets and put them behind bars.”
The funeral was being held for 17-year-old Akeem Bailey, who had been fatally stabbed in October 2022. Police said the teen was not associated with gangs, but Berryman had reason to suspect gang members would be present at his funeral.
Detective Inspector Francis Knock described the shooting as harrowing, and said it was by sheer luck and chance it was not a triple murder case. He said: “Street gang rivalry has been going on on the streets of Birmingham for many years now unfortunately. This was a targeted shooting at a gathering of people who had come to pay their respects to a young man who had himself lost his life to violent crime. They’re there to commemorate the life of a loved one or an associate. And if you can possibly expect one place where you would be able to do so in peace, it should be at a wake after a funeral.”
He added: “While the young man who died did not have connections to gangs, Berryman believed there would be people linked to gangs at his wake. This could easily have been a triple murder investigation and it’s by luck really that people weren’t killed on that evening. We put a huge number of officers into the investigation, to ensure we had a really clear picture of what had happened. CCTV, mobile phone and forensic evidence placed Berryman in the car at the time that the shots were fired and he is now facing many years behind bars.
“Gun crime causes absolute misery to the families of those who are injured or killed, and can spread fear among residents whose neighbour hoods are impacted. Our Major Crime Teams work with local officers to build a clear picture of who is involved in gun crime in an area and take decisive action to get them off the streets and put them behind bars.”
Passing sentence on Friday, the Recorder of Birmingham Judge Melbourne Inman KC told Berryman, who was affiliated with Birmingham’s 9Boyz gang: “Sadly, this is yet another case of very serious violence involving the use of firearms between street gangs within this city. Gang violence is a scourge of this city, as it is elsewhere.
“This was a planned attack. The funeral was of a child who had been murdered. I make it clear the victim was a wholly innocent victim and wasn’t a member of any gang.” The judge heard from prosecutors that the shooting was part of a “street war” between 9Boyz and a rival gang known as Armed Response.
Before the shooting – carried out with a smooth-barrelled 9mm pistol which has not been recovered – Berryman had discarded his phone. Following his arrest, Berryman, who has two previous convictions for drugs offences, made no comment in police interviews.
Passing sentence, Judge Inman added that Berryman had believed members of the rival gang would be present at the wake. The judge said: “There were something of the order of 100 people outside the hall, together with those inside. The scene was one of utter terror.
“The effect upon the mother and loved ones of the child whose funeral it was can scarcely be imagined. This was an attack on those who were mourning the death of a child. The only mitigation is that you have no previous convictions for violence. This was a determined attempt to murder a number of people. You in fact fired four shots from a very close range into a large crowd of people. It’s remarkable that one or more were not killed – you had no regard at all for human life.”
