A gunman who fired shots at the funeral of 'Mr Ibiza' Clive Pinnock was chased down and attacked with a bottle and a knife, a court has heard.
Mohammed Umar, 24, was jailed for six years and three months at Manchester Crown Court today after admitting firearms offences.
He suffered serious injuries in the shocking incident at Gorton cemetery in April last year.
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The court heard that despite coronavirus rules banning large gatherings, a crowd of up to 300 people were in attendance.
Prosecutor Charlotte Crangle said: "The deceased was Clive Pinnock who had died in a road traffic collision about two weeks earlier.
"He was well-known in the Manchester area, so well-known that police were warned the funeral would be well-attended despite covid restrictions.
"However there was a decision made not to attempt to prevent the large gathering, but to monitor it from a distance."
Following the funeral, a large number of people remained in Gorton cemetery for what became an 'impromptu wake' with music being played from a PA system and lots of people 'drinking and socialising', the court heard.
"Local residents had contacted police to report the behaviour and to complain about the breaches of Covid regulations," said Miss Crangle.
"However at around 6.45pm a male was seen to enter the cemetery, he produced a handgun and began to fire shots towards a group of males.
"He was chased out of the cemetery by the males and assaulted.
"By the time police arrived he was found on the floor bleeding from a wound to his face."
No one was injured in the shooting but Umar was taken to hospital with serious facial injuries.
It is believed he was attacked with both a bottle and a knife, the court heard.
He also had black eyes and bruising.
CCTV footage captured the moments after the gunshots were fired as Umar fled through the cemetery gates being pursued by a crowd of mourners.
He was wearing dark clothing with a hood up and black, latex gloves.
At one point, he can be seen to clearly point the gun back at the crowd but does not appear to fire it.
Several witnesses told police they heard up to four gunshots followed by 'screaming, shouting and people running'.
One heard a man shouting 'get him' and 'who sent you?' before police arrived, the court heard.
Two women who had been visiting a grave at the same time told how they hid in bushes, fearing a gunman was on the loose.
"They were extremely distressed," Miss Crangle added.
Despite CCTV footage showing Umar in possession of the handgun moments before police arrived, no weapon was found at the scene, the court heard.
Several 9mm bullet casings were recovered in the area near Mr Pinnock's grave however, the court heard.
Five days after the shooting, police received an anonymous tip-off that the gun would be found in a bin on Manor Road in Levenshulme, the court heard.
A police officer was dispatched to carry out a search which initially proved fruitless, Miss Crangle told the court.
"The officer was then approached by a male who pointed towards a particular bin," she said.
"In a black bin bag the officer could feel something heavy - it was discovered to be a silver handgun."
The weapon was described as a gun designed to fire blank cartridges that had been modified to enable it to fire live ammunition as well, the court heard.
Ballistics experts were able to match it to the bullet casings found at the cemetery.
Umar, of Broadlea Road, Burnage, gave no comment in interview and the court heard he has given 'very little' information to police or his own legal team beyond his guilty pleas to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of ammunition.
His lawyer John Ryder QC said: "I can't offer any insight into why the defendant behaved as he did beyond his own admissions.
"He has remained consistent in this throughout."
Umar claims he was acting under 'pressure' from others, the court heard, but he will not give any further details.
He insists his intention was always to fire 'into the sky' rather than at any individual, the court was told.
"Certainly there is nothing in his background that suggests that he does have gang affiliation or is a member of an Organised Crime Group," said My Ryder.
"Rather the contrary, he is from a thoroughly respectable family."
Mr Ryder suggested the gun may have been taken away from the scene of the shooting 'to prevent it from being traced to someone who gave it to [Umar]'.
In reference to witnesses having heard men shouting 'who sent you?', Mr Ryder said it 'demonstrates how [the shooting] was perceived by some of those who were present... as an expression of enmity of some sort.'
"Whether or not he was put under some pressure to behave as he did, we can't positively assert but it is a possibility," Mr Ryder added.
Judge Patrick Field said there 'may have been a degree of coercion' involved in Umar's actions but added that he remains 'skeptical' due to the evidence of planning involved such as the latex gloves and dark clothing.
He jailed Umar for six years and three months for possesion of a firearm and four years for possession of ammunition.
The sentences will run concurrently.
Clive Pinnock, 38, was riding a green Kawasaki motorbike on Hyde Road when it collided with a black BMW at around 5.15pm on April 8 last year.
He suffered fatal injuries at the scene and died in hospital later that night.
Clive grew up on the Anson estate in Longsight and was a popular figure in the clubland scene in both Manchester and Ibiza.
Thousands of people have posted tributes on social media with one person writing: "RIP Clive Pinnock. Mr Ibiza himself.
"Many many great memories on the white isle and beyond with you my mate.
"Fly high brother."
Speaking after the court hearing, Detective Constable Terry Macmillan said: "This is a shocking act that took place in a location considered sacred to many, where people pay respects to their loved ones who have passed.
"Thankfully, no-one in the cemetery at the time of Umar's actions reported receiving any injuries, however Umar's own injuries as a result of the assault proved to be relatively serious.
"Umar opened fire in such a busy, open space, showing the disregard he has not only for the law, but the safety of the general public and innocent passers-by.
"Cracking down on guns and the people who use them are significant priorities for our force and through this work, we've taken over 100 firearms off the streets of Greater Manchester in the last year.
"The conviction and imprisonment of Umar is the latest success in making our city that much safer."
