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Paul Massey murder: Gangland hitman shot dead underworld 'Mr Big' with Uzi machine gun outside his home

Mark Fellows blasted mob boss 18 times with an Uzi

Zamira Rahim
Wednesday 16 January 2019 19:31 GMT
Undated BBC handout photo of Paul Massey, who it is reported has been shot dead at a house in Salford in what police described as a "targeted attack"
Undated BBC handout photo of Paul Massey, who it is reported has been shot dead at a house in Salford in what police described as a "targeted attack" (PA)

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A hitman is facing a life sentence after he was convicted of the double murder of two notorious gangland figures.

Known as "The Iceman", Mark Fellows gunned down Paul Massey, a prominent "Mr Big" figure among the gangs of Salford and beyond, with an Uzi machine gun in July 2015.

He shot 18 times at the crime boss as Massey raised his arms in surrender and dived behind bins outside his home, a jury at Liverpool Crown Court heard.

He died within minutes of being shot.

Three years later Fellows cycled up to Massey's friend John Kinsella, a mob enforcer from Liverpool, as he was walking his dogs near his home in Merseyside, accompanied by his pregnant partner.

Pulling out a Webley six-shot revolver, Fellows shot the 53-year-old twice in the back. As Kinsella lay dying in the street, the hitman stood over him and shot him twice more in the back of his head, at close range.

Both victims were slain as a result of a deadly feud between rival gangs in Salford.

Members of the A-team, which the victims were associated with, remain at odds with the gang's splinter group, which the defendants are linked with.

Fellows was convicted of both murders but was found not guilty of attempting to kill Wendy Owen, Kinsella's partner.

Steven Boyle, the hitman's associate, who allegedly acted as spotter to ensure the victims were in place and to act as back-up, was found guilty of murdering Kinsella but cleared of murdering Massey.

He was also cleared of attempting to murder Ms Owen.

Both defendants smiled as the jury foreman returned guilty verdicts, following 31 hours and three minutes of deliberations.

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Relatives of the victims sat in the public gallery, holding hands and wiping away silent tears, as both men were convicted.

Armed police officers pattrolled court corridors for the duration of the seven week trial.

The defendants are facing mandatory life sentences for murder and will be sentenced by trial judge Mr Justice William Davis later this week.

Additional reporting by agencies

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