Two men have been jailed for a total of 15 years after a hitman plot failed when one shot an accomplice in the leg by accident. 

Bungling Adam Liaqat, 19, mistakenly fired his weapon on Asad Khan, 23, leaving him with life-changing injuries.

The pair were parked up at the time ahead of a planned attack in the early hours of November 23.

He was forced to take a taxi to hospital where he claimed he did not know how he had sustained his injuries – but staff weren’t convinced and West Midlands’ Major Crime Team began an investigation.

Officers discovered the men had used a Mitsubishi Outlander to travel to St Paul’s Road in Smethwick, West Midlands, where the gun went off just before 4.30am, leaving Khan writhing in pain on the passenger seat. The vehicle had been stolen from Rowley Regis, three miles away, the previous evening.

Once Khan, of West Bromwich, had undergone surgery and was medically fit, he was arrested and his mobile phone was seized.

Liaqat, of Sandwell, West Midlands, was detained on December 2 following a police pursuit of a Honda Accord, which he was driving despite having only a provisional licence.

He and passenger Yakuba Sawaneh, of Perry Common, Birmingham, threw items including Class A drugs and a burner phone out of the vehicle’s windows before they were eventually stopped and arrested.

Asad Khan, 23, was mistakenly shot in the leg by his accomplice – he was today jailed for 13 years

Adam Liaqat, 19, shot Khan while a passenger in the stolen vehicle – he will be sentenced at a later date

Yakuba Sawaneh, 19, was jailed for 42 months for possession of class A drugs heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply

Day of the Jackass: The damaged Mitsubishi after it was pierced by a bullet when Liaqat’s gun accidentally went off

During the investigation, officers discovered a message between Khan and someone else which indicated he and Liaqat were on their way to conduct a shooting prior to their mishap. 

A search was later carried out at Khan’s address and crack cocaine was recovered. 

The weapon used on the night of the shooting has never been recovered. 

At sentencing today, Khan was jailed for 13 years for possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a class A drug cocaine and being carried in conveyance without authority, as well as driving offences.

Sawaneh was jailed for 42 months for possession of class A drugs heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply.

Liaqat will be sentenced at a later date. 

DC Emily Fowler said previously: ‘Through our enquiries we established Khan and Liaqat were in the stolen vehicle with a gun. There were messages which indicated they were on their way to shoot someone themselves, although we don’t know who that was.

‘At some point, while the car was parked, the gun has gone off and Khan has been injured and the inside of the vehicle damaged.

‘Khan made his own way to hospital and we started to establish exactly what happened.

‘The pair had clearly put in a lot of pre-planning and preparation as a gun and ammunition had been acquired, and a car stolen and put on false plates.

‘However, it went wrong when Liaqat appears to have accidentally shot Khan.

‘Lives could have been lost as a result of Liaqat and Khan arming themselves with a gun, including Khan’s own.

‘Illegally-owned weapons in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous.

‘It’s clear Liaqat, Khan and Sawaneh were all linked to drugs and he has also rightly been convicted for his illegal activity too. All three face losing their freedom and spending time behind bars.’