Three men sentenced to life for 'brutal and cold-hearted' murder of Connor Brookes

Connor and a friend were sat in a parked van in Well Lane in Walsall just before 5pm on July 8 last year when their attackers struck. 

A stolen black Ford Focus pulled up alongside them, and, six seconds later, a gunman in the back of the car fired a shotgun once at them.

Connor, who was in the driver’s seat, was killed, while his friend in the passenger seat was hit in the left shoulder but survived. 

The Focus sped off at nearly 50mph and was driven to Wyrley Lane, where the murder weapon was dumped within minutes of the shooting. 

A major investigation saw West Midlands Police trawl through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to piece together the day’s events. 

And it identified a motive for the killing. Connor’s brother, Patrick, was convicted of the murder of Bailey Atkinson, who was stabbed to death in Walsall in 2023. 

The investigation showed that the car was driven by Jake Sanbrook, 23, with Byron Sellick, 20, and Julian Falconer, aged 19, as passengers.

The trio were friends of Mr Atkinson and some had images of him and material related to the 2023 murder on their phones. 

And it revealed how less than 15 minutes before the murder, shots had been fired from the Focus towards another car less than two miles away on Stephenson Avenue.

Police believe it was also an attempted revenge attack for Mr Atkinson’s murder. 

Acting on information, they recovered the double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun dumped in a bin bag in Wyrley Lane, Staffordshire. 

The Ford Focus was found abandoned four days later, with gunshot residue still present inside and DNA from Sanbrook and another man, Samuel Danks-Petty, aged 20.

In April, he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice after helping the killers get home safely after the murder. 

The other three men were found guilty of the murder of Connor, the attempted murder of his friend and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court. The three were each jailed for life with a minimum of 29 years at Wolverhampton Crown Court today. Danks-Petty was jailed for three years.

Connor’s family said: "Connor was an incredibly kind and caring person, someone who was always there for us.  

"His loss at such a young age is devastating, for all of us who loved him. This has been a heart-breaking journey for our family, and it’s a loss we will carry with us forever. This violence has to end before more lives are ruined.” 

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Michelle Cordell, said: "Connor’s murder has had a devastating impact on all who knew and loved him, especially his family. His friend survived the attack, but I have no doubt that the trauma he experienced that day will live with him for the rest of his life.    

“The brutal and cold-hearted actions of this group in broad daylight were intentional, cruel, cowardly and unjustified. We may never know who fired the gun, but the jury’s verdicts show that they were acting with a common purpose that day. 

"Nothing can bring Connor back, but I hope that today's verdicts provide some comfort to both families as they try to heal and rebuild their lives."