A 24-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to a minimum of 34 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering one man and attempting to murder another during a shooting incident at a caravan site in Somerset.
Following a long and complex investigation, Charlie Broadway was convicted of the murder of 50-year-old Wilfred Isaacs Senior and the attempted murder of his son Wilfred Isaacs Junior, who was 22 at the time.
He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court today for these offences, as well as charges of unlawful wounding - for an assault on Wilfred Senior earlier the same day – and ABH for a prior assault on Wilfred Junior.
(Charlie Broadway)
Charlie’s brothers John Broadway, 38 and William Broadway, 18, were sentenced to 15-years (plus an extended four years on licence) and 12 years respectively after being found guilty of the manslaughter of Wilfred Senior.
RELATED: Charlie Broadway guilty of murdering Wilfred Isaacs
The shootings happened on Thursday, May 5 at the Chubbards Cross Caravan Site in Ilton, where they all lived.
Charlie Broadway, 24, wounded Wilfie Isaacs Jnr, 22, before pointing the double-barrel pump action shotgun at his father Wilfred Isaacs Snr, 49, and shooting him dead at close range.
(Wilf Isaacs Senior)
He had been passed the weapon by his younger brother Billy, 18, on the orders of older brother John, 38, at the Chubbard's Cross caravan site near Ilminster.
Charlie Broadway was convicted of murder following a six-week trial at Bristol Crown Court. He was also convicted of attempting to murder Wilfie Isaacs Jnr.
Billy and John Broadway were convicted of manslaughter.
Meanwhile, Charlie Broadway and his two brothers-in-law Joseph Finney, 33, and Riley Jones, 21, were convicted of unlawfully wounding Wilfred Isaacs Snr and the assault occasioning actual bodily harm of Wilfie Isaacs Jnr.
The Broadways' sister Bonnie Wilson, 30, was found guilty of assisting an offender. They had denied all the charges.
(John Broadway)
Bonnie Wilson, 30, has been sentenced to 18-months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, while Joseph Finney, 23 and Riley Joe Jones, 21, were both sentenced to 15-months' imprisonment, suspended for two years.
"This was an extensive and fast-moving inquiry which involved a wide range of policing resources."
RELATED: The family of Wilfred Isaacs pay tribute to him following the sentencing
- Senior Investigation Officer DI Lorna Dallimore
Senior Investigating Officer Det Insp Lorna Dallimore, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “The motive for these shootings lies in a dispute between two families living on the site.
“Tragically, what started out as a verbal disagreement between members of the two families resulted in the horrific shooting of two men.
“Our investigation showed Charlie Broadway used a sawn-off shotgun to inflict fatal injuries on Wilfred Senior and cause serious injuries to his son.
(Chubbards Cross caravan site in Ilminster following the shooting)
"His two brothers John and William both played a pivotal role in the incident, resulting in their convictions for Wilfred Senior’s manslaughter.
“It was a senseless act which has ultimately destroyed the lives of two families.”
Following the shootings, John and Charlie Broadway fled the scene and a nationwide manhunt was launched.
Charlie handed himself in at Bridgwater Custody Centre the following day, while extensive police enquiries resulted in the arrest of John in Lichfield, Staffordshire, on Saturday 7 May.
DI Lorna Dallimore added: “This was an extensive and fast-moving inquiry which involved a wide range of policing resources including the
Major Crime Investigation Team, Investigations, Local Policing, Catch and Disrupt teams, Crime Scene Investigators/Managers, Intelligence staff and Communications personnel.
“A large number of partner agencies and professionals have also been involved, especially in the run-up to the trial, including medical, forensic and ballistic experts.
“During our investigation, several illegally held shotguns, component parts of other firearms and ammunition were recovered from the caravan site, along with the murder weapon, which was found discarded in a disused toilet block on the site.
(The sawn off shotgun used in the murder)
“In the region of 1,260 exhibits were seized, including bloodstained clothing found at the site, and a thorough forensic examination was conducted of the whole site, which took almost three weeks.
“We carried out a meticulous review of the events leading up to the shootings, which uncovered evidence of a serious assault on Wilfred Senior earlier in the day, in which he was punched, kicked and struck with a metal bar.
“My thoughts are with the family and close friends of Wilfred Senior and Wilfred Junior, who’ve had to come to terms with the life-changing impact of this appalling crime. I hope these successful convictions will help them move forward with their lives.
“I’d also like to thank the brave witnesses who gave evidence in this trial, all the officers and staff who worked on this inquiry and our partner agencies for their crucial input and support.”
THE MURDERER IN NUMBERS:
- 378 officers/staff involved in total
- 25 made up core investigation team
- 1,264 exhibits logged
- 1,249 investigative actions completed
- 447 statements taken
- 267 officer reports filed
- 1,263 other documents recorded (maps, photos etc)
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