Housewife shot in her own home by masked intruder, court told

A housewife was shot twice by a masked intruder as she sat in her lounge in an "audacious attack", a court has heard.

The mother of twins, who was hit in the shoulder and hand at the property on Dovehouse Lane, Solihull, only avoided being killed because her attacker's gun jammed, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Martynas Okmanas, 28, of Studfall Avenue, Corby, has denied charges of attempted murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Michelle Nelson QC, prosecuting, said "shortly after 8.46am on December 18 last year a woman was shot in her home in Solihull".

Officers and forensic teams from West Midlands Police in Dovehouse Lane, Solihull.

She continued: "The assailant shot at her twice before the gun appeared to have ceased to work.

"The Crown suggest had it not he would have continued to fire the gun. It is the Crown's case that the assailant intended to kill.

"It is by sheer good fortune that she was not in fact killed."

Miss Nelson said it was an "audacious attack" at a semi-detached property when "there were people in the locality beginning their day,"reports BirminghamLive.

She said the attacker was wearing dark clothing, had his hood up, with his top covering the lower part of his face and that he had been wearing a high visibility jacket similar to ones worn by staff at Jaguar Rover.

The intruder

The wife and husband who lived at the property, she said, were financially comfortable.

He ran a garage and they owned some commercial and residential properties while the victim wore a Rolex watch, said Miss Nelson.

She said the woman had initially thought the intruder had come to rob the house, but in fact nothing was actually taken.

Miss Nelson said on the day the victim's husband had taken their children to school.

She was alone at the property, had just made a juice and was watching TV when she heard the handle of the front door being turned.

When she looked up she saw the shadow of a dark top through frosted glass before a man came down the hallway and into the room where she was sitting, the court heard.

"He said nothing but was looking directly at her. She described herself in complete shock and panic," Miss Nelson continued.

"She remained seated and without speaking he reached into the right side of his top, pulled out a firearm and pointed it at her," said Miss Nelson.

She said the victim initially thought the gun was not real but continued "she quickly realises this was not the case and straight away he pulled the trigger and she was hit in the left shoulder, the bullet passing through her and hitting the wall".

Plea not to shoot again

The woman believed she had been hit by a pellet and she pleaded with the intruder not to shoot but he then fired a second shot and she realised he was firing bullets, said Miss Nelson.

She said the gun then appeared to jam and that the victim had stood up, the court was told.

The attacker told her not to move but she then took a chance to run for it, said Miss Nelson, and fled from the property.

When later quizzed the woman told police she could not help with a motive and that she did not believe her or her husband had enemies.

Miss Nelson said police were able to use CCTV to track the intruder who drove to Northampton after the attack.

She said Okmanas was arrested on February 22 this year at an address in Stratford Road, Birmingham, and there was evidence to suggest he had visited the targeted property a week previous to the shooting.

The trial continues.