Almost 18 months after being shot in the arm by a masked stranger, Liam Roberts finally got the answer he demanded: 'Why me?' The gunman, J'jay Lawlor, now 21, admitted it was a case of wrong place, wrong time.
Shocking Attack in Chelmsley Wood
On January 25, 2025, at around 11pm, Lawlor got out of a Volvo in Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, his face covered. He immediately confronted two men on motorbikes, neither of whom he knew. Addressing Liam Roberts, he threatened: 'Get the f*** of the bike now, you think this is a joke?' Then, without warning, he fired a gun concealed in a blue bag.
Lawlor got back in the car, ignoring the bike he seemingly wanted, and fled with driver James Sherriff, 47, and passenger Carl Gamble, 29. Roberts realised he had been shot in the arm and went to hospital, where the bullet was removed. He has been left shaken, fearful of strangers, and struggling to trust anyone. He and his family have since moved home.
'I Deserved to Know the Reason'
At Birmingham Crown Court on July 24, 2026, Roberts' victim impact statement was read out. He said: 'I just wanted an explanation. I wanted to be told why I was shot for my own piece of mind. My family deserved to know. I deserved to know the reason. Was it all over my bike or something else? After all that time I deserved an honest answer.'
Lynette McClement, defending Lawlor, told the court she had asked him specifically why he shot Roberts. He replied: 'He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was not him. Please don't be afraid in the future. It was not you we were targeting. It was the bike. It would have been whoever was on the bike.'
Gunman's Background and Downfall
Lawlor was arrested around a week later at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon. Police seized more than £2,000 worth of cocaine, which he was dealing, and a Taser. Prior to the shooting, he had no criminal record. Judge Richard Bond called it 'rare' for someone to begin offending in such a serious way, stating: 'It's such a disproportionate use of violence against him (Mr Roberts) it's just ridiculous.'
The court heard Lawlor never met his own father, who is serving a lengthy prison sentence. His stepfather was also jailed for high-level drug importation. McClement revealed Lawlor saw a 'horrific' video of his stepfather being attacked at HMP Belmarsh, adding it had a 'profound' impact on him. His family received death threats, and the teenager spiralled into cocaine use, under the influence of which he committed the shooting.
Convictions and Sentencing
Lawlor, from Stratford Road, Solihull, admitted attempted robbery, possessing a firearm while committing a schedule 1 offence, possession of a prohibited weapon, and possession with intent to supply class A drugs. Following a trial, he was found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and wounding with intent. Sherriff, of Masons Way, Solihull, and Gamble, of no fixed address, were also found guilty of wounding, robbery, and firearms offences. Sentencing will continue at a later date.
