A man and a woman who conspired to shoot her previous partner in an attack that left him with life-changing injuries have been jailed.
The male victim, aged in his 20s, was shot multiple times after Daniel Gaudin and Shannon Rule travelled by train from Waltham Forest to Merton to carry out the horrific broad daylight attack in front of terrified onlookers.
On Wednesday, 5 April the pair appeared at Kingston Crown Court for sentencing. Rule was jailed for 30 years while Gaudin was jailed for 27 years, with an additional two year extended licence.
On Thursday, 22 December, Shannon Rule, 23 (20.02.00) of Ashwood Road, Chingford, was found guilty of attempted murder following a trial at Kingston Crown Court.
Daniel Gaudin, 23 (14.06.99) of Cranleigh Close, Waltham Cross, had pleaded guilty to attempted murder at an earlier hearing.
The court heard that Rule had been in a relationship with both the victim and Gaudin. The two men did not know each other.
Gaudin became aware of the other man and sent a number of threatening texts to him.
Matters soon escalated dramatically when Gaudin enlisted Rule to lure the man to a meeting near his home in Morden, where he would then shoot him.
The unknowing victim agreed, believing he would meet Rule alone to discuss the situation.
Gaudin and Rule travelled to Morden where Rule met the victim before Gaudin then appeared and shot him multiple times without warning. Scores of people watched the incident unfold.
Police were called at 14:03hrs on Tuesday, 22 June 2021 to Central Road, at the junction with Abbotsbury Road.
They found the victim and he was rushed to hospital by London Ambulance Service paramedics. The injuries he sustained were life-changing and he requires ongoing treatment to this day.
A crime scene had been established and enquiries to locate the suspects began immediately.
Gaudin and Rule had fled the scene immediately after the shooting however, the route they thought was their escape, actually led them back towards the scene of the crime – where stationed firearms officers saw the suspects and arrested them.
The pair were taken into custody and interviewed.
Rule denied knowing that Gaudin had a gun or that he intended to shoot the victim. Her lies quickly unravelled when officers discovered an array of texts she had sent to the victim warning him about Gaudin and that he was in possession of a firearm.
Detectives worked diligently to gather a wealth of CCTV, witness and forensic evidence that also placed them both squarely at the scene. Gaudin was left with no choice but to plead guilty.
Detective Inspector Iain Wallace, the officer who led the investigation, said: “The sentences handed down show how seriously the Judge deemed the actions of Rule and Gaudin.
“Our thoughts foremost are with the young man whose life was changed in an instant following a shocking and utterly needless act of wanton violence, born out of Gaudin’s sheer jealousy and insecurity.
“He had no idea of what would unfold that day and the terrible injuries he sustained will mean he needs assistance for the rest of his life. I hope the convictions we have seen today will allow he and his family some small measure of comfort.
“Gaudin and Rule have paid the price for their ruthless, calculated attack with their freedom. There is no place for violence on our streets and anyone concerned in such violence can be assured that the Met will stop at nothing to bring offenders to justice.”
