Two Men Convicted of Teenager’s Murder Following £60 Dispute

Two individuals have been found guilty of ambushing and fatally shooting a teenager in the back, an act that occurred after a disagreement over £60 reportedly got “out of hand”. Nyle Corrigan, aged 19, sustained “catastrophic” injuries from a single shot fired by a Glock 9mm handgun on Boode Croft in Stockbridge Village, Merseyside, on 12 November 2020. Following a six-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court, a jury convicted Martin Wilson, 37, identified as the gunman, and his associate Connor Smith, 26, of Mr Corrigan’s murder and related firearms offences. Jamie Coggins, 28, a third defendant, was acquitted of murder and firearm possession but found guilty of assisting an offender. Anthony Llewelyn, 25, was cleared of all charges and subsequently released. Smith’s parents, Melanie Smith and Mark Sharpe, who had also faced charges of assisting an offender, were both found not guilty. The prosecution outlined that Mr Corrigan had a falling out with Liam Cohen, a friend of Wilson’s, due to Mr Cohen’s failure to repay a £60 debt. The conflict escalated to murder after Mr Corrigan expressed frustration and exchanged insults with Mr Cohen’s partner on Facebook, which “incensed” those who ultimately killed him. Richard Wright KC, representing the prosecution, informed the jury: “This was not some random act of street violence.” He added, “It was rather a targeted and planned attack, executed with ruthless efficiency by a team who had staked out the location knowing that their victim was due to be there.” CCTV footage presented to the jury depicted Mr Corrigan’s final moments as he cycled along a row of terraced houses. The two masked assailants emerged, fired shots, and Mr Corrigan stumbled backward a few yards before collapsing. His killers then approached him, seemingly spoke to him, and departed the scene on Mr Corrigan’s bicycle. The jury heard evidence that the day before the shooting, Wilson was part of a group of masked men who visited Mr Corrigan’s family residence in Little Moss Hey, Stockbridge Village. The group reportedly told his mother, Lesley Kelly, that her son, who was absent at the time, was “dead” and would be “getting it”. On the day of the incident, CCTV captured Wilson purchasing two pairs of black gloves, two black hats, and two black face masks from a convenience store in Huyton, before entering Smith’s Volkswagen Golf. The prosecution’s argument was that Wilson, of no fixed address, and Smith, of Midway Road in Huyton, were the gunmen, with “support” from Coggins, of The Spinney in Stockbridge Village, and Mr Llewelyn. After the verdicts, James Allison, a senior prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, stated: “Pride and ego were at stake. “Wilson and Smith had sourced a semi-automatic pistol and live ammunition, they had knowledge of the area and of their victim, they came prepared with face coverings and gloves.” He concluded, “They were able to move into position at the right time, in the right place and armed with the means to kill Nyle.” The three convicted men are scheduled for sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday.