THREE borough men have been jailed after a shooting incident in Tilbury in July last year.

The sentencing brought a conclusion to an intensive police operation that led to armed officers arresting the gunman responsible for firing a shotgun during a confrontation at a caravan site in the town.

He and two others fled Essex in an attempt to evade arrest but detectives tracked him across county borders and, working closely with Lincolnshire Police, armed officers surrounded an address where he was trying to lie low.

A police statement says: "The arrest was a key moment in a meticulous investigation that pieced together more than 200 hours of CCTV, public information and communications evidence.

"The gunman has now been jailed for more than 12 years, with two associates who either encouraged the attack or helped him go on the run also safely behind bars."

Last July Sonny Carter, 22, egged on by his brother Nelson Lee, 24, fired a shotgun at a rival over an ongoing dispute. The pellets were inches away from causing death or serious injury.

Sam Tolley, 37, then helped Carter flee Essex in a failed bid to escape police and lie low.

Essex Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit linked each of the three men to their roles, resulting in more than 18 years in prison sentences.

The police statement continues: "We carried out extensive enquiries after 999 calls reported gunshots at a caravan site in Chadfields, at around 12pm on Saturday, 26 July.

"Witnesses reported seeing a moped rider involved in a confrontation with the driver of a Volkswagen Golf.

"They saw the moped rider fire both rounds of a double-barrelled shotgun directly at the car.

"The spent shotgun shells were seen to hit the floor, before the Golf reversed into a gate and collided with a parked vehicle in the driver's rush to flee.

"The gunman collected the shells, stashing the shotgun into the storage compartment of the moped before riding it away from the site.

"We were called and firearms officers from our Force Support Unit were soon on the scene. The moped was linked to a nearby static caravan at the site, which was being rented out by Lee.

"Armed officers immediately searched the caravan, finding evidence suggesting Lee and Carter had been inside, alongside deal bags of cannabis and cocaine and a three-figure sum of cash.

"Swift work identified the victim's car and he was spoken to over the phone.

"He refused to provide any details to us, but pictures were received of the pellet damage caused to his car.

Shotgun pellet damage to the car

"The investigative team were left with an extremely challenging case with no supportive victim, no firearm, little in the way of forensic evidence at the scene.

"They instead built their case on the back of the information provided by helpful members of the public, a painstaking review of more than 200 hours of CCTV footage and crucial communications evidence.

"A picture of events and key suspects began to sharpen in focus.

"Detectives discovered that Carter had acted with the encouragement of Lee to attack the victim over a prior dispute, likely linked to the possible theft of a moped.

"One message sent by Lee, referring to the victim, read: 'He's gonna be getting done for good'.

"Another, the final message sent by Lee to Carter before the shooting took place, referenced carrying out an assault, adding: 'But delete these messages… I'm just paranoid we've gotta be smart not dumb'.

"The investigation found that, following the shooting, Carter packed up his belongings and fled to an address in Lincolnshire to lay low with the help of Tolley.

"Within two days, we had worked across county borders with partner forces to track them down and arrest them.

"On the morning of 28 July, armed colleagues with Lincolnshire Police were on hand to surround the address in question, bringing out Carter and Tolley and ensuring their return to Essex custody to face questioning."

Lee was arrested on 11 August. All three offenders were charged, convicted and later sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Friday 27 March as follows:

Carter, of HMP Norwich, admitted a charge of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. He was deemed a dangerous offender and jailed for 12 years eight months, with an extended licence period of four years.

Lee, of Feryby Road, Grays, admitted a charge of encouraging and assisting an offender. He was sentenced to three years and nine months' imprisonment.

Tolley, of High Road, Orsett, denied assisting an offender and was convicted of this charge following a trial. He was sentenced to two years and six months' imprisonment. He earlier admitted a further charge of driving whilst disqualified and was banned from driving for 22 months.

The work of the Essex Serious and Organised Crime Unit in tracking them down, tying them to their roles in the shooting and helping to present a clear case in court prompted sentencing judge Collery to commend the officer in the case - DC Elliot Blackwood.

DC Blackwood said: "At the outset of the investigation we faced a number of hurdles. We lacked a victim willing to engage with us, the firearm was never recovered and forensic evidence was extremely limited.

"Alongside those factors, we also faced a manhunt across county borders.

"The three offenders involved did what they could to hide themselves and any evidence of their involvement.

"To secure convictions against all three is testament to the seriousness we treat incidents of this nature.

"Gun crime remains extremely rare in Essex. But when criminals resort to using weapons in such an open and frightening way, the public can feel reassured that we will respond in kind.

"We will throw our full weight behind an investigation to see them brought to justice.

"This involves rapid response policing from both our local district teams and our specialist armed officers, coupled with investigative work by detectives who work solely on the issue of serious and organised crime.

"I would praise the vital help of those members of the public who called us and engaged with us following this incident. Their assistance was crucial in progressing this investigation and securing convictions."