A murderer helped arrange for a grenade to put under a car as part of an escalating gangland feud, a court heard.
Billy Jones, 29, has been jailed for life with a minimum of six years for his part in the plot for the explosive to be planted under a car on the driveway of a family home in Warrington, where four children slept upstairs.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the grenade plot was part of a tit-for-tat feud between two rival gangs in the area, which spilled over in February last year.
It came after Cheshire Police launched an operation targeting a criminal gang, led by brothers Anthony and Leon Cullen, where more than 50kg of cocaine and seven weapons were seized.
Anthony Cullen and others were later jailed for a total of 185 years, but Leon Cullen has since gone on the run and is wanted by police.
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The Warrington Guardian reported that the first attack was on February 21 at The Muscle House Gym, which was 'completely ravaged' in an arson attack.
Two days later, Leon Cullen's home was targeted, with his windows being bricked and his BMW torched.
The following day the grenade plot targeted a house on Cleveland Road in Orford, Warrington, where an alleged associate of Shaun Smith, who they believed to be behind the attacks on Cullen's property, was said to be.
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The grenade was put under a Vauxhall Insignia, and at about 12.30am an anonymous call was made to police informing them of the device, which was close to where four children were sleeping.
The bomb squad rushed to the scene, and homes within 50 metres of the grenade were evacuated.
The device was taken to a nearby wasteland and was detonated in a controlled explosion.
Jones was found guilty of conspiracy to possess explosives by a jury following a month-long trial.
His DNA was found on the pin of the grenade.
He was jailed for 10-and-a-half years in 2006 after admitting murder, after kicking, punching and stamping on dad-to-be Michael Theaker following an argument on a bus.
Jones, of Forster Street, Warrington, had been out of prison for just four months following his previous sentence when he took part in the grenade plot.
Sentencing, Judge Brian Cummings QC told Jones: "In the context of alleged tit for tat incidents between two opposing factions, there was an agreement to deposit a grenade outside an address by way of an intimidatory warning.
"I must not draw a conclusion to your role, and there is no suggestion you played a leading role.
"I'm sure that these tit for tat incidents centred on Shaun Smith and Leon Cullen.
"The grenade incident was targeting a suspected associate of Shaun Smith, and I'm sure that you were acting on behalf of Leon Cullen's faction - though not necessarily at his request or with his knowledge."
After the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Mike Evans, from Cheshire Constabularies Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "Jones deliberately left a viable explosive under a vehicle to send a warning demonstrating the group’s criminal capabilities.
"This came without a second thought for the destruction and devastation it could have caused to our local community had the safety pin been removed. Jones wanted the police to know about the device to send a clear message with the intention of instilling fear and intimidation.
"Today’s sentencing sends out our own clear message. We will stop at nothing to investigate those who harm our communities and we will not rest until those involved realise Cheshire is a very difficult place to operate.
"To those who suggest drug supply is a victimless crime, I hope this highlights to them the violence and feuds that take place behind the scenes."
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