Bomber Graham's son shot in feud
11 February 2009
By Claire Lewis and Sarah Dunn
THE teenage son of South Yorkshire boxing legend Herol "Bomber" Graham has been gunned down in a Sheffield pub car park.
Oliver Graham, aged 19, was shot in the head outside The Double Top pub in Halfway Centre, Halfway.
He survived the attack, but was yesterday in the Northern General Hospital awaiting surgery to remove pellets lodged in his head.
Today his champion boxer father said he believed the attack could have "stupid gangland" links and blamed youths for taking their disagreements "that one step further".
But he stressed he did not believe his son was involved in such a lifestyle.
"It's the gang warfare, that's how it seems," he told The Star.
"There might be some retaliation in it, but I don't know what's going off. To my knowledge Oliver isn't involved in anything like that.
"This has really shook me up."
The former British, Commonwealth and European champion said the pain he was going through since the shooting was "worse than having a fight".
He said: "I am hurt, I am definitely hurt. I'm feeling horrible - it's worse than having a fight. It's like losing a fight."
Herol, a veteran of 48 boxing matches, said he believed his son survived the attack only because he was shot at long-range.
He said: "Luckily he's going to be okay - they've done it from a distance and the pellets have entered his head but not his brain.
"But it is serious and they've got to operate on him."
Police say they believe the attack in the early evening of Monday was "targeted" and not carried out randomly.
A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "Police are keeping an open mind about the motive but currently believe it to be a targeted attack and are following lines of inquiry to trace the offender.
"Police are treating this incident very seriously and inquiries are ongoing."
Sheffield boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, who worked with Herol in his heyday, said there was a worrying trend for "pay back" attacks among youngsters - something he works hard to eradicate among the youths who attend his gym.
He said: "We tell them down at the club that if someone says something offensive, just smile.
"It's got to the point where a dirty look or a name calling leads to somebody getting stabbed or shot at.
"I imagine Herol is feeling very upset about what's happened. No matter who the parents are, it's always upsetting for them because you don't know where it starts, or where it finishes."
Last month Brendan told The Star: "People are getting stabbed and shot and for what cause? People need to put down weapons and focus on breaking down barriers."
There just is not detterant whatsoever to make these fcuking idiots think twice about stabbing or shotting someone!
Get the guns, knives of the street, FFS!