A teenage boy led a mob of youthful thugs on a terrifying campaign of three shootings and an arson attack over the course a few weeks, a court has heard.
Harry O'Brien was 16 when he controlled a crew of dealers selling cannabis on the streets of Liverpool, but his enterprise was foiled after a "feud" led to three shootings in three weeks.
One shooting saw bullets fired from an Audi at a BMW as the two cars drove side-by-side at night, leading to a stray bullet going through the front door of an "entirely innocent" family's home.
In another shooting, a gunman on an electric bike peppered a family's living room with bullets and fired into another victim's bedroom, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Finally, O'Brien had petrol poured through the letterbox of a mum's home and set ablaze, as she and her children ran for their lives.
O'Brien, now 17, was named and pictured today after journalists convinced a judge it was in the public interest to lift reporting restrictions on his case.
His reign of terror lasted from December 2020 until his arrest on July 1 2021.
The attacks targeted members and associates of two families, the Franchettis and the Rosarios.
Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, said he had no doubt they were "the manifestation of a feud" between O'Brien's gang and "others" with "whom they had a real or perceived grievance, the nature of which has not emerged".
O'Brien planned and took part in all three shootings, "orchestrated the arson", and the cannabis plot was "his enterprise", the court heard.
David Temkin, QC, prosecuting, said: "Harry O'Brien was at the heart of the criminality in this case."
Michael McClean, then 16, and Aaron Donohoe, then 19, were his "lieutenants".
Daniel Lawler, 19, joined O'Brien in carrying out two of the shootings, which all involved the same Glock semi-automatic gun - which was never recovered by police.
The first shooting happened in late December 2020, after unknown occupants of a silver BMW X5 were driving around looking for O'Brien.
They deliberately "rammed" into another BMW which was being driven by O'Brien's mum, Christine McPartland, with her son, McClean, Donohoe and an unknown fourth male in the car.
She called the police to report the crash and her son and his gang fled.
Mr Temkin said: "What happened next was revenge."
Now armed with a loaded gun, O'Brien, McClean, Donohoe and the fourth male set off in a stolen Audi, with banned driver McClean at the wheel.
Three shots were fired at the BMW X5, with one going through the front door of a family's home.
The QC said evidence given by Lawler at trial revealed O'Brien was in "some sort of dispute" with "the Franchetti and Rosario family".
Over the next three weeks, while staying at the Staybridge Suites Hotel in Keel Wharf, O'Brien arranged to buy a Sur-Ron electric bike.
O'Brien and Lawler set off on the bike - one armed with the pistol - in early January 2021.
Just after 8.45pm, Donna Rosario called the police to say shots were fired at her house.
Hours later, O'Brien and Lawler, on the same bike, targeted the Heffey family, and fired at an upstairs bedroom.
Mr Temkin said: "This was where 24-year old Joel Heffey was asleep. Joel Heffey and Ian Franchetti junior were associates."
The gang next targeted the Dingle Lane house of Claire Bowness, at home with her three teenage children.
Mr Temkin said: "Notably they were all from the Rosario family. Ian Franchetti senior is those children's uncle."
The QC said this arson attack was O'Brien's idea and he sought the help of a 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
O'Brien also enlisted Sian Kanu, then 19, who recruited Mohammed Mohammed, then 19, to carry out the attack.
The boy filled a petrol canister at a Shell garage on February 1. It was taken by Mohammed to Ms Bowness' home on February 5, just after 8am.
Mr Temkin said: "The fire spread some way into the property, moving from the hallway, to the staircase and to the upper floor.
"Claire Bowness and the Rosario children, with their dog, managed to escape out of the rear of the property. However, they all required medical treatment for smoke inhalation."
On February 12, police raided the home of O'Brien's grandparents, who lived next door to him and found £13,590 in cash in a plastic bag in the loft. One note bore their grandson's fingerprint.
O'Brien was also seen with wads of cash at the Adagio Hotel and Elif restaurant in Liverpool city centre on April 26.
He was arrested at his aunt's home on July 1, where police found some £5,000 worth of cannabis as well as cash, mobile phones, two knives and an axe.
Police also raided the home of Nathan Kelly, 28, a customer of O'Brien's gang, on April 21 and found a .22 rimfire revolver loaded with eight bullets in a disused fish tank on his balcony.
They also discovered a bag containing 36 Remington .22 cartridges suitable for the gun and nine other bullets.
In communal gardens outside, police recovered a New Army 1892 Colt .41 revolver, wrapped in a black bin bag and covered with soil.
Following a spate of arrests, those said to be involved in the shootings and arson attack were charged with conspiring to possess a firearm, and to commit arson, both with intent to endanger life.
Ahead of a trial, O'Brien admitted lesser offences of conspiring to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and conspiring to commit arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, which the Crown accepted. He had already admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis.
Richard Pratt, QC, defending, said O'Brien had "diagnoses in the past of ADHD" and was described as "a risk-taker". He added: "It may well be those illnesses, through no fault of his own, have contributed to this conduct."
Judge Flewitt locked O’Brien up for nine years and eight months, with an extended three years on licence. He must serve at least two-thirds of that sentence behind bars before he can apply for parole.
Lawler, 21, was found guilty of the firearm plot and admitted unrelated charges of dangerous driving and handling stolen goods. He was locked up for eight years, with an extended two years on licence. He too must serve at least two-thirds of that term.
McClean, 18, of admitted the cannabis and firearm plots. At trial, he admitted two counts of possessing a prohibited firearm and possessing ammunition. He was locked up for eight and a half years.
Donohoe, 20, admitted to the cannabis and firearm plots, on the basis he was only involved in the first shooting. He was locked up for six years and four months.
Jurors couldn't reach a verdict against Kanu, 20, on the arson plot. He later admitted to participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group. He was locked up for two years and three months.
Also at trial, the unnamed boy, now 15, admitted to the arson plot. He was handed a two-year Youth Rehabilitation Order, with a six-month home curfew, between 8pm and 7am daily.
Mohammed, 20, and Kelly, 28, will be sentenced at later dates.
