Man found guilty of attempted murder after shooting

A 21-year-old man has been convicted of the attempted murder of a teenager following a shooting.

Northamptonshire Police was called to reports of a 17-year-old boy seriously injured at Hazel Wood near Westcott Way in Corby just after 16:30 BST on 11 April 2025.

On Thursday, Matas Sukaitis, of Chaucer Close, Corby, was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury after a month-long trial at Northampton Crown Court.

The jury, who took 10 hours to deliberate, also found Sukaitis guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

Speaking after the verdict, Det Sgt Megan Scotney said: "I have no doubt that Sukaitis' intention was to kill his teenage victim, and it was extremely fortunate that the firearm jammed as he attempted to shoot the boy at point blank range. If it hadn't, he would have been facing a murder charge."

During the trial, the court heard that on the afternoon of the incident the victim was sitting on a bench with his friend in Hazel Wood, between Westcott Way and Jubilee Avenue.

At about 16:30 Sukaitis appeared on the footpath, pulled out a black handgun and opened fire at the victim.

However, as the victim tried to run away, he was shot in the back and collapsed to the ground.

Sukaitis then stood over the victim and directly pointed the gun to his head, but the firearm jammed twice.

He produced a knife and stabbed the victim twice in the leg and kicked him in the face.

Sukaitis fled the scene on foot, leaving the victim requiring surgery and a bruised face.

The court heard that the victim told detectives that his attacker was "MT" and gave them the name "Frankie".

The initials were Sukaitis' nickname, while 'Frankie' was a reference to a Class A drug line.

During the trial, Sukaitis admitted being a Class A drug dealer and operating the Frankie line which sold both crack cocaine and heroin in and around the Corby area.

Three days after the attack, he handed himself in before being released on police bail while investigations continued.

However, he was charged a month later after being detained at Gatwick Airport as he attempted to catch a flight to Norway.

Sukaitis is due to be sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on 18 September.

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