A couple who tried to kill a woman's previous boyfriend by luring him to a 'honeytrap' meeting before gunning him down in the street leaving him paralysed have been jailed for a total of 57 years. Daniel Gaudin, 23, blasted his 25-year-old love rival in broad daylight, leaving him with life-changing injuries.
The 'jealous' attacker had been hiding around a corner, leaving girlfriend Shannon Rule, 23, waiting on the pavement to meet the unsuspecting victim. He then emerged to unleash a hail of around 10 bullets at his victim.
Scores of shocked onlookers watched the terrifying attack unfold in a busy high street in Morden, south west London. The shooting took place less than 200 yards from a primary school and some witnesses heard screaming after the gunfire broke out.
Rule had been in a relationship with both the victim and Gaudin in the lead up to the attack, but the two men did not know each other, police said. When Gaudin discovered Rule had been seeing the other man he sent a string of threatening texts to him.
As a result, the unwitting victim agreed to the meet-up with Rule at around 2pm on June 22, 2021, believing he would meet her alone to discuss the row. But when he arrived at the meeting spot, Gaudin opened fire immediately and without warning, shooting him multiple times.
The pair travelled by train to Morden from Waltham Forest, north east London, to carry out the ambush. In the aftermath of the shooting, the pair fled the scene but their escape route led them right back towards the scene, where firearms officers who arrived in the area saw the suspects and arrested them.
The victim was rushed to hospital by paramedics with life-changing injuries and he still needs ongoing treatment to this day, the Met Police said. When quizzed by detectives, Rule denied knowing Gaudin had a gun or that he intended to shoot the victim.
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But her lies quickly unravelled when officers discovered multiple texts she had sent to the victim warning him about Gaudin and she even told him Gaudin had a firearm. At Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday, Rule was jailed for 30 years, while Gaudin was sentenced to 27 years in prison, with an extra two-year extended licence once he is released.
Rule, of Chingford, east London, was found guilty by a jury of attempted murder after a trial, whereas Gaudin, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to the same charge at an earlier hearing. The victim has been left paralysed from the waist down and is wheelchair bound, needing round the clock care.
Detective Inspector Iain Wallace, the officer who led the investigation for the Met Police, said on Thursday that it was a "ruthless and calculated" attack.
He said: "The sentences handed down show how seriously the judge deemed the actions of Rule and Gaudin. Our thoughts foremost are with the young man whose life was changed in an instant following a shocking and utterly needless act of wanton violence, born out of Gaudin's sheer jealousy and insecurity.
"He had no idea of what would unfold that day and the terrible injuries he sustained will mean he needs assistance for the rest of his life. I hope the convictions we have seen today will allow he and his family some small measure of comfort.
"Gaudin and Rule have paid the price for their ruthless, calculated attack with their freedom. There is no place for violence on our streets and anyone concerned in such violence can be assured that the Met will stop at nothing to bring offenders to justice."
