Police said it was, “sheer luck”, no-one was injured or even killed when a shotgun was fired twice at a house door amid a feud between two men.

The comments were made by the senior detective who oversaw the inquiry into the incident in South Shields, on the evening of September 21, last year.

Detective Chief Inspector Louise Jenkins was speaking following the conviction of two men for involvement in the shooting, in which an unknown third man fired twice towards an address on Brownlow Road, South Shields, after attempts were made, unsuccessfully, to lure a man staying there, out of the premises.

No-one was injured, but an investigation was immediately launched by Northumbria Police’s Major Investigation Team.

Read more: South Shields duo convicted of firearm possession 'with intent' charge

They quickly gathered CCTV and telecoms evidence to compile the case against two men, Aaron Giles, who had been in a dispute with the intended target of the shooting, and a taxi driver, Kevin Chapman, recruited to ferry his co-accused and the gunman to the scene of the shooting.

CCTV was captured showing Chapman’s taxi, minus its company livery as a disguise, driving past the address, with Giles heard from inside the vehicle shouting to try to lure out the other man.

He then gave the instruction for him to fire, with two shots damaging the door of the address, where the intended victim’s partner and young child were also present.

Giles, 29, of Richardson Avenue, and 40-year-old Chapman, of Hawthorne Avenue, both South Shields, each denied conspiracy to murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Following a two-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court, both were cleared of the murder conspiracy charge, but convicted of the firearm count.

The judge, Mr Justice Martin Spencer, adjourned sentencing in the case until May 5.

But, remanding both defendants to remain in custody in the meantime, he told them they could be looking at sentences into, “double figures”.

Read more: South Shields murder conspiracy trial told dispute led to shooting

After the verdicts were passed, Det Chief Insp Jenkins said: “This was an appalling incident that saw a shotgun brazenly fired at an address in South Shields.

“It is sheer luck that nobody was seriously injured or killed.

“From the outset of this investigation we were determined to ensure effective justice was brought against anybody found to have had any involvement in this shooting.

“And, I am pleased that the jury have now convicted Giles and Chapman for their roles.

Read next:

               Two men accused of plotting South Shields murder to go on trial

               Trial date set next year for pair charged with South Shields murder conspiracy

               Murder plot accused Aaron Giles in court over South Shields shotgun incident

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“This outcome is only possible thanks to the outstanding work of a team of detectives and staff from across the force who carried out a huge amount of inquiries in order to ensure both defendants had their day in court.

“I would also like to thank our colleagues at the Crown Prosecution Service for their continued support.

“Incidents of this nature are rare in our area, but, when they do occur, we take them extremely seriously and are committed to acting quickly and robustly.”