Trio jailed for 20 years after firing at Rochdale house in broad daylight

Three men have been jailed for almost 20 years after shooting at a house in Rochdale.

Ross Pate (18/03/83), of Newchurch Street, Rochdale; Jason Charnley (04/02/88), of Roch Mills Crescent, Rochdale; and Richard Powell (11/11/1983) of Ogden Street, Rochdale; pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

When they were sentenced today (2/5/24) at Manchester Crown Court, Pate was jailed for seven years and seven months, Charnley sentenced to six years and Mills for five years and seven months.

In March 2022, all three men were seen to attend a property on Hill Top Drive in Rochdale, with Pate being found to have discharged a shotgun through the front door and window.

The female occupant of the address was present but thankfully not in the living room at the time.

The incident originated from Pate’s desire to seek revenge after his mother’s address was targeted in February 2022.

Neighbours heard a loud bang and the sound of breaking glass, and called 999.

Witness accounts and CCTV footage showed Pate, Charnley and Powell in the immediate vicinity of the address, with mobile cell data providing corroboration.

One man was seen discarding a cigarette which would later be conclusively matched to Powell, while dashcam footage of a passing vehicle assisted further in identifying those responsible.

Enquiries further uncovered their movements in the lead-up to the incident and during several warrants, clothing was seized matching descriptions and images obtained from CCTV.

Expert analysis confirmed two discharges came from a shotgun, with the absence of peppering on the front door indicating it had been placed directly against the door.

Charnley’s arrest attempt in early April 2022 in Rochdale saw him flee the property to a neighbouring one before he was located underneath several mattresses trying to evade capture. Relevant items of clothing were recovered.

Facebook photos and videos confirmed the associations of those involved and clothing that matched what Pate was wearing at the time of the incident.

Pate handed himself in at Bury police station in April 2022 and Powell arrested in early May 2022 in Rochdale.

Detective Constable Russ Clarke, of our Rochdale Criminal Investigation Department, said: “Back in March 2022, Ross Pate, Jason Charnley and Richard Powell all attended the address with one purpose, to fire live shotgun rounds into the property in the hope of instilling fear and terror.

“They all played a key role in what took place having discussed what they were going to do earlier that day.

"All showed a complete disregard for human life with the occupant of that property present inside.

"It is only through luck, that nobody sustained serious injury or was killed.

“The impact on the victim and her family has been significant as she continues to try to come to terms with what happened that day.

"The home is somewhere everyone has the right to feel safe and secure, therefore this was an intrusion and violation of the most serious kind and one which will have long-lasting consequences.

“Despite what took place that day, the victim has shown great courage, determination and resilience throughout the investigation.

“It is clear that Pate, Charnley and Powell pose a significant danger to the public. Acts of such serious violence and terror will be investigated with no stone unturned as we seek to bring those responsible to justice.

“Firearms pose a serious risk to society, and I would ask anybody with information relating to firearms to contact the police and play their part in making our streets safer.”