Five men who subjected residents of Stockport to a reign of terror are sentenced to a total of 21-and-a-half years

Manchester Crown Square Court this week sentenced the final defendant of five, after an investigation into a firearms discharge at a shop in Cheadle, Stockport in 2021 and subsequent conspiracy to possess firearms.

Jacob Richards (19/05/2005) was this week sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment and an extended licence of four years for firearms offences as well as arson with intent, section 47 assault, as the Judge branded him “dangerous”.

In March 2024, three of the other four defendants received prison sentences:

• Remico Embrack (13/06/2003) received six-and-a-half years for discharging a firearm and arson
• Amira Kacou (26/08/02) was jailed for two years for conspiracy to possess firearms
• Another man, aged 21, was sentenced to five years for discharging a firearm but has since been released.

Xavier Edwards (23/02/02) received a suspended sentence for conspiracy to possess firearms.

The court heard how Richards, Embrack and the 21-year-old man stormed a shop in Cheadle, Stockport on Sunday 20 June 2021 at approximately 5.40pm and fired shots at the owner and customers who were in the premises at the time. The owner managed to push an alarm which rang out and created fog smoke. It also immediately alerted the police.

Outside the shop, a delivery driver who was passing in his vehicle, heard the shots inside the shop. He stopped to see what was happening and reported seeing three males leaving the shop – one of whom shot at his vehicle.

Richards was quickly identified as a suspect and on Tuesday 22 June 2021, GMP’s Tactical Firearms Unit attended an address where they believed Jacob Richards was and arrested him. Following a search of the property, cash totalling £1300, a black handgun, glock-style pistol, ammunition and cannabis were recovered.

The other defendants were quickly detained and the police investigation – Operation Empirical – was launched.

DCI Ian Wrench said: “This was an extremely complicated case which had a lot of moving parts. The investigation team within Stockport CID ran the investigation and their hard work means that we were able to secure these results and see these individuals face justice for their involvement in violent, criminal activity that inflicted fear in the community.

“The message is clear – if you commit crimes within Greater Manchester, we will locate, arrest and charge you, and build case files to support prosecution. Firearms have no place in Stockport.”

Greater Manchester Police can be contacted via 101 or through the Live Chat function on the website www.gmp.police.uk. Always dial 999 in an emergency.