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KYE LEMATHY, 21, HAD A DEPRIVED UPBRINGING AND FELL INTO CRIME AND CANNABIS USE AFTER BEING LET GO BY WALSALL FC, A COURT HEARD 06:30, 04 Jun 2025 A former academy footballer has been jailed

after shooting at two people in wild scenes on a Birmingham street. Kye Lemathy was out on his e-bike when he got into a row with two unidentified males at a bus stop in Aston Lane, Perry

Barr, who were also on bikes last October. He returned home to fetch a gun which he used to confront the same people. READ MORE: TRADER CHARGED £350 FOR £3 RAT POISON AFTER BIRMINGHAM

COUNCIL GIRLFRIEND GAVE HIM ILLEGAL WORK CONTRACTS CCTV captured a back-and-forth encounter between them which led to Lemathy being forced off his bike and stabbed in the back near a Gulf

petrol station on Witton Road. In retaliation he fired at least two shots from his revolver at the pair before fleeing the scene. Article continues below Lemathy, 21, of Holte Road, Perry

Barr, used to be on Walsall FC's books. He was initially charged with attempted murder but his guilty plea to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life was accepted instead. On

Tuesday, June 3, at Birmingham Crown Court he was sentenced to nine years and nine months with an extended three-year licence. Judge Melbourne Inman KC concluded he was a 'dangerous

offender' and told him: "Sadly this is another case of guns being fired in public here in our city. "Guns and gun crime are a scourge of this city and the sentences therefore,

as has been frequently said, are intended to punish and deter people from being in public with prohibited weapons." Andrew Baker, prosecuting, said: "On October 12 last year at

around 7.46pm police started to get emergency calls about a disorder in Witton Road. Three males were involved. "Police went to the scene and started to investigate who had been

involved." The court was shown a CCTV compilation which showed Lemathy leaving his home on Holte Road at around 7.37pm. He became involved in an altercation with the two males at the

bus stop on Aston Lane at around 7.39pm. Mr Baker said: "At 7.41pm he returns to his home address and is back out very quickly. "The Crown say he went home to collect a

firearm." He said Lemathy 'deliberately went back to find' the two males on Aston Lane and pointed the gun at them. After a back-and-forth which lasted a few minutes Lemathy

ended up in the middle of Witton Road by the petrol station being shouted at by the two males, one of whom said 'let it off'. Mr Baker said: "All three end up close to the

petrol station. "The defendant rides through the petrol station followed by profile 1 (unidentified male). "As he tries to get past him profile 1 knocks him off his bike into the

middle of that road. "At 7.46pm the defendant is stabbed in the back by profile 1." Within the next few seconds Lemathy fired his gun twice at one of the two males who ran around a

white Mercedes to avoid being hit. Lemathy ultimately ran off leaving his bike in the road. Less than an hour later he went to hospital with the stabbing having punctured his left lung. He

was discharged into police custody three days later but answered no comment to questions. He had a number of previous convictions including robberies as a youth and dealing cannabis in 2023,

the court heard. Arron Payne, defending, said Lemathy acted immaturely in the face of provocation. He said: "He had a deprived upbringing. In the first week of his life he was addicted

to heroin and had to be weaned off for a week using methadone. "He's had traumatic experiences since then, witnessing the consequences of class A drug use and violence at home.

"He and his siblings were put in the care of his grandmother because his parents sadly sank into the world of class A drug addiction. "He grew up angry at his parents and angry at

life. "When he lost the promising chances of football with Walsall Football Club, he spiralled into cannabis use aged 14. He ended up being excluded from school. Article continues below

"He has never demonstrated a willingness to come off cannabis or an interest in working. "In displays of unexpected and hopeful maturity that has all changed." Mr Payne said

Lemathy had secured a job in the prison servery, completed courses in maths and hoped to find legal employment once he was released.