Two young women jailed for perverting the course of justice during their role in Sheffield shootings

Three people have been jailed for their roles in disorder which led up to two shootings taking place in Arbourthorne, Sheffield in 2020.
By Grace Newton
Published 1st Feb 2022, 15:02 GMT

Joshua Mottershead, Demi Dunford and Molly Mayer all appeared before Sheffield Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.

Mottershead, 21, of St Aiden’s Avenue was jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of conspiring to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life. On the evening of Tuesday June 30, 2020, police received calls from members of the public reporting that bullets had been fired through the windows of a property on Errington Avenue. Just a minute later, officers received a second call from nearby Aylward Road where again, bullets had been fired through a living room window.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Soon after leaving the second property, a pre-arranged plan to destroy the vehicle used kicked in, led by Demi Dunford.

Demi Dunford, left, and Molly MayerDemi Dunford, left, and Molly Mayer
Demi Dunford, left, and Molly Mayer

Dunford, 25, of Derby Street, Sheffield pleaded guilty in November 2021 to perverting the course of justice for her role in the car being burned out. She was jailed for 20 months and also received eight months (to run consecutively) for possession of 32 wraps of heroin/crack.

Read More
Highways agency will not face charges over fatal crashes on smart motorways in Y...

CCTV had captured Dunford using taxis to visit a petrol station on East Bank Road, buying and filling a jerry can and then making her way to an agreed location, Park Spring Drive, during the exact time the shootings were taking place.

Molly Mayer, 23, of Callow Drive, Sheffield was given an 18-month custodial sentence after admitting perverting the course of justice in November.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Head of South Yorkshire Police's armed crime team, Detective Superintendent Paul Murphy, said: “Incidents like these are not acceptable. People were left in fear of their life by what happened and it caused real unrest in the local community. It was miraculous that nobody was injured.

“We are taking robust action to tackle organised crime across South Yorkshire and hitting the root cause, such as the supply of drugs, hard.

“If you are concerned about suspicious activity in your area, please contact police. Alternatively, you can report information completely anonymously via Crimestoppers.”