Two men found guilty of Hove pub shooting at Poets Ale and Smokehouse

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Two men found guilty of Hove pub shooting at Poets Ale and Smokehouse

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Two men have been convicted of shooting a firearm at a bar in Hove.

Carlos Cassidy, who previously went by Martin Bennett, and Memis Kalmis both maintained their innocence regarding the drive-by shooting at the Poets Ale and Smokehouse establishment on Montgomery Street, Hove, which occurred on April 4.

Following deliberations that began on October 1, the jury returned guilty verdicts against both defendants on single counts of possessing a weapon with intent to cause alarm.

The shooting happened on April 4, 2026, when a projectile was discharged into the venue.

Evidence presented during the trial established that both accused individuals had been consuming alcohol inside the establishment before the incident occurred.

The prosecution argued that Kalmis operated a white Aldi vehicle while Cassidy discharged the firearm from inside.

According to the case put forward by prosecutor Gareth Burrows, the bullet penetrated the external door and travelled through a chair leg before creating a dent in the bar counter and grazing the leg of a patron seated there.

Burrows noted that nobody sustained serious injury more by fortune than design.

Cassidy, who is 45 years old, and Kalmis, aged 43, are scheduled to receive their sentences next year.

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