VICTIM'S FAMILY MOCKED BY MURDERERS IN COURT

Relatives' disgust at ridicule after gang jailed for 'revenge' drive-by shooting

- ANNABAL BAGDI

THE grieving family of a murder victim shot in the head at short range in a 'revenge' gang attack have blasted his killers for 'ridiculing' them in court.

Connor Brookes' family said they felt 'disrespected' by the 20-year-old's killers, who sat in the dock 'blowing kisses, 'smirking' and 'laughing' at them.

They branded the abuse hurled at them at Wolverhampton Crown Court as 'truly disgusting'.

Their comments came as three killers were locked up for life for executing Connor in a horrific drive-by shooting in Walsall last summer.

Connor's family said they felt as if they were the ones 'on trial, describing how one of the defendants even branded them 'rats'.

In a statement read to the court, they said: "It's been so difficult to sit and listen to this case.

"To be verbally abused by the people responsible is truly disgusting.

"We have remained calm and tried to get justice for Connor."

Jake Sanbrook, Byron Sellick and Julian Falconer were handed life sentences and each told to serve a minimum of 29 years on Friday.

The court heard how they orchestrated a plan to kill both Connor and his passenger Bradley Sladyszyn in retaliation for the earlier murder of their friend Bailey Atkinson.