JANUARY 2010
We prepare
a monthly summary of gun incidents, focussing on those that raise key
issues about the nature of gun crime and the adequacy of gun legislation.
Items that have been amended or added to the list since the
Summary was written are marked (*).
ENGLAND
Sunday Mercury,
31 January 2010 *
A second shooting in
Wolverhampton in the space of a week is claimed to have been connected
to on-going drug wars. The shooting happened outside a pizza
restaurant in the Heath Town area.
BBC,
31 January 2010
A man is in a stable
condition in hospital after being shot in the leg in Moxley, West
Midlands. His condition is not thought to be life-threatening.
BBC,
31 January 2010
Two men, one armed
with a handgun, forced the manager of a fast food restaurant in
Reading, Berkshire, to open the doors before stealing cash from the
tills. It is thought that hundreds of pounds were taken.
Northern Echo,
30 January 2010
Three men were
arrested after cocaine and an air rifle
were found during an operation when a vehicle was stopped in
Darlington, County Durham.
Mirror,
30 January 2010
Robert Tuck was
caught with a revolver in his pocket after he started a drunken brawl
with another passenger on a train in Exeter, Devon. He told
police he was going to throw the gun away in a quarry in Cornwall.
Police later found ammunition at his flat in Bristol. He
admitted illegally possessing a firearm and has been jailed for five
years.
Evening Telegraph (Northamptonshire),
30 January 2010
A man who was
arrested in Rushden, Northamptonshire, for threatening behaviour
towards his ex-partner claimed to have a firearm. Police could not
confirm if a firearm had been found at the house.
BBC,
30 January 2010
A man has been
charged with drugs and firearms offences following a raid at an address
in Ripley, Derbyshire.
BBC,
30 January 2010
Four people, two
teenage men and two teenage women, have been
arrested after a firearm was discharged from a
vehicle near a private party in Bristol. It is understood that a
shotgun was fired at a flat above a
shop in Filton (Bristol Evening Post, 1 February 2010).
Huddersfield Daily Examiner,
29 January 2010
A pane in a window at a house in Meltham,
West
Yorkshire, was cracked by a pellet believed to have been fired from an
air weapon, and another window was damaged when an
air
rifle was fired in Almondbury.
Haringey Independent,
29 January 2010
Three men
attempted to rob an office in Ponders End, north London, demanding
staff hand over their wage packets. One employee suffered a minor
head wound when a gun went off and another man was hit over the head with
the gun. One man has been arrested and charged.
East London Advertiser,
29 January 2010 *
Desmond
Meade has been found guilty of attempted murder and possessing a firearm
with intent to endanger life. He shot a man in the chest with a
shotgun in Hoxton, east London, in
August 2009. Police had found an injured couple in a car which had
crashed into a wall and the driver had a gunshot wound in the chest.
The shooting followed a dispute over a drugs debt. He has been
jailed for a minimum of 15 years.
His victim still has a bullet lodged in his chest, leaving him with
long-term health problems (BBC, 26 February 2010).
Coventry Telegraph,
29 January 2010 *
John
Bloomfield and Sunnil Rajcoomar have been found guilty of raiding a post
office
in Fillongley, Coventry, and have been told to expect substantial
custodial sentences. They had denied charges of robbery and
possessing an imitation firearm during
the robbery in March 2009. Both men have been jailed for seven years
(Coventry Telegraph, 25 March 2010).
Uxbridge Gazette,
28 January 2010
Parminder
Sidhu was found in possession of a gun he insisted was just "a toy".
He was found with a revolver at his address in Hayes, west London.
The gun, believed to be a converted Brocock revolver, was found under the
bed. Sidhu claimed the gun had been bought by a friend from an army
shop. He was told that ignorance is no defence and has been
sentenced to five years in prison.
Times,
28 January 2010
A
16-year-old from Barwell, Leicestershire, who was charged with
harassment and had been accused of firing an
airgun at his victim's guinea pigs walked free from the court
after the victim of his abuse collapsed in the witness box and was taken
to hospital. The Crown Prosecution Service claimed it was in the
'public interest' to end the trial but the judge said there were
particular aspects of the case that caused him grave concern.
This is Lichfield,
28 January 2010
A reward has
been offered for information leading to the conviction of two men
responsible for an attack on a pub landlord in Lichfield,
Staffordshire, and her partner. During the attack, which took place
in December 2009, the partner was hit on the back of the head with a
handgun and he had a stun gun fired at
him. The two robbers demanded money and were able to seize a
substantial amount of cash.
South London Press,
28 January 2010
A man has
been cleared by a jury of attempted murder of a man who was shot outside a
pub in Brixton, south London, in July 2009.
Northampton Chronicle &
Echo,
28 January 2010
A man is on
trial charged with possessing a Beretta pistol, a silencer and ammunition
which were found in a car parked in Far Cotton, Northampton.
DNA found on the gun is alleged to have matched to him. Martin Olali
has been convicted and jailed for seven-and-a-half years (Northampton
Chronicle & Echo, 2 February 2010).
Lynn News,
28 January 2010
An inquest
has opened into the death of a man found with gunshot wounds in woodland
in Shouldham Thorpe, Norfolk. The cause of death was chest
and stomach injuries caused by a shotgun.
Kent Online,
28 January 2010
A man was
arrested for possession of a prohibited weapon after reports that two men
had been seen with a gun on a housing estate in Canterbury, Kent.
The Herald
(Plymouth),
28 January 2010
A jury has
heard that police searching a home in Stonehouse, Plymouth, in
August 2009 found a
powerful stun gun. Andrew
Adamson has been jailed for possessing cocaine with intent to supply and
having a banned weapon (The Herald
(Plymouth),
29 January 2010).
Ham & High,
28 January 2010
An employee
at a bookmaker's in Belsize Park, north London, was hit with a gun,
had a knife held to his throat and was punched and kicked during a
robbery. It is the second armed robbery in the area in two weeks.
Staff at a café had been held up at gunpoint earlier in the month.
Devon 24,
28 January 2010
Concern has
been expressed about the use of a shotgun
on land in Honiton, Devon. It appears to be uncertain whether
it was on private or public land.
Bolton News,
28 January 2010
A maggot
farmer suffered a fractured skull when he was attacked by three raiders
who were armed with a crowbar, an airgun
and a knife. The attack took place in Edgworth, Lancashire.
The gang stole the victim's van before abandoning it nearby.
Whitby Gazette,
27 January 2010
Armed police
made an arrest after reports of a youth brandishing an
air rifle in Whitby, North Yorkshire, after the
window of a property was smashed.
This is Wiltshire,
27 January 2010
A gun handed
into police in Chippenham, Wiltshire, and believed to be a starter
pistol turned out to be real. The weapon had been found in a park by
a dog walker and has been sent for destruction.
Press Association,
27 January 2010
Jamie Bunter
has been locked up indefinitely and will serve at least 12 years for a
racist shotgun attack on a man in
Mitcham, south London. The victim was attacked simply because of
the colour of his skin and his life was saved only because a faulty
cocking mechanism prevented the cartridge from exploding. Bunter was
found guilty of attempted murder, robbery and firearms charges. He
was with two other men at the time of the attack and they were armed with
a .410-calibre double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun, a loaded revolver and a
knife.
Northumberland Gazette,
27 January 2010
Evan Hogarth,
19, has pleaded guilty to possessing a stun gun
which was found in his bedroom in Amble, Northumberland. He
has been given an 18-month community order.
News Shopper,
27 January 2010
A man armed
with a handgun threatened a customer and a cashier at a bookmaker's in
Foots Cray, south west London, while he took money from the safe.
Express & Star,
27 January 2010 *
A man found
dead in the garage of his home in Wollaston, West Midlands, had
been shot in the chest. There were no suspicious circumstances.
Am inquest has heard that he took his own life. He died after
shooting himself with an old Colt US military handgun to escape the pain
of living with cancer. The unlicensed gun had been kept after he had
spurned the chance to hand it in during a firearms amnesty (Birmingham
Post, 9 March 2010).
Evening Telegraph
(Peterborough),
27 January 2010
A woman from
Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, who is on trial for the murder of her
lover, has said that the man, who suffered fatal stab wounds, was abusive
to her and would shoot at her with a BB gun
if she did not do what he said.
BBC,
27 January 2010 *
A man has
been arrested following reports of an armed robbery at a store in
Exmouth, Devon. It was reported that the man had a firearm and
demanded cash. Approximately £300 was stolen in the raid. A
man has been jailed for six years after admitting robbery (see
April 2010 Incidents).
AFP,
27 January 2010 *
A
17-year-old boy has died after a shooting incident at a house in Huyton,
Merseyside. Neighbours reported that the boy had been shot and he
was pronounced dead at hospital. An 18-year-old man has been
arrested. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an
offender (BBC, 28 January 2010). Detectives are not yet clear
whether the teenage victim was shot accidentally or murdered with intent (Liverpool
Echo, 30 January 2010). Three other teenagers have been arrested
in the investigation and no further action is to be taken against the
woman (Liverpool Echo, 2 February 2010). A 16-year-old has
been charged with manslaughter, possession of a firearm and perverting the
course of justice (Liverpool Echo, 3 February 2010). He has
admitted the offence (see May
2010 Incidents).
Watford Observer,
26 January 2010
A man has
been seen carrying a shotgun on
Croxley Common Moor, Hertfordshire, a designated Site of Special
Scientific Interest where hunting with firearms is banned. The man
was approached by a local councillor but he ran off. Previously
illegal deer hunters have targeted the moor.
This is Local London,
26 January 2010
A teenager
has been charged with possession of an imitation firearm and assaulting a
police officer in a street in Burnt Oak, north London. The
18-year-old threw away a plastic bag after spotting two police officers.
The bag contained a blank firing gun.
Metro,
26 January 2010
A man has
been hit by a shot from an air rifle
in his back garden in Hawkley Hall, Lancashire. Further tests will
be needed to establish if there is permanent damage to his sight.
The victim has a pellet lodged in his cheek. It is believed the
weapon was fired indiscriminately from neighbouring fields. It was
the second time he had been shot with an airgun pellet in two weeks (Wigan
Evening Post, 27 January 2010).
Liverpool Echo,
26 January 2010
David Wilson
has admitted four charges of possessing a prohibited weapon, an adapted
weapon, ammunition and class A drugs. Police found a
sawn-off
shotgun and a loaded revolver at his home in Huyton, Merseyside.
He said he had been bullied into minding a bag filled with the weapons and
drugs. He has been jailed for six years.
Harrow Observer,
26 January 2010
Members of a
five-man gang who kidnapped a man off the street in Harlesden,
north west London, in November 2008, bundled him into a stolen van before
robbing and pistol-whipping him have been jailed. Their vehicle was
stopped by police for driving without lights and they fled the scene.
Shaul Toney, who had the gun and tried to hide it in a front garden, was
sentenced to 10 years and Ezekiel Burton to 8 years for possessing a fully
loaded 9mm automatic pistol with intent to commit an indictable offence
and possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate.
Daily Mail,
26 January 2010 *
A keen game
shooter has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and firearms offences.
He is alleged to have entered a neighbour's home in St John's Wood,
north west London, and shot a faulty burglar alarm. Local residents
rang 999 after hearing shots. A shotgun
cartridge was found at the scene. He has admitted possessing a
firearm with intent to commit criminal damage (see
February 2011 Incidents).
Wandsworth Guardian,
25 January 2010
Two men
armed with a handgun entered a betting shop in Earlsfield, south
west London, and threatened to shoot before making off with cash.
Northampton Chronicle &
Echo,
25 January 2010
Vilmars
Leidums has been jailed for 21 months for threatening a police officer
with a plastic toy gun. He was
drunk at the time of the incident which took place in Northampton
in November 2009. He pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation
firearm with intent.
Liverpool Echo,
25 January 2010
Shots were
fired at a garage in Stoneycroft, Liverpool. The door to the
garage was damaged but no one was injured.
Liverpool Echo,
25 January 2010
A man was
shot in the face as he lay in bed at his home in Stockbridge Village,
Merseyside. Two men broke in and fired what is thought to have been
a small calibre handgun. The victim's injuries are not thought to be
life-threatening.
Leicester Mercury,
25 January 2010
A drunken
man confronted a group of men in a street in Wigston,
Leicestershire, and asked "Who wants shooting?". They believed he
was armed with a shotgun. James Broadhead has now been convicted of
possessing an imitation firearm and
threatening behaviour. He claimed he was carrying a light sabre
which was mistaken for a shotgun. The prosecution said it was not
known exactly what he was carrying. Broadhead was given a nine-month
jail sentence, suspended for 12 months.
Lancashire Evening Post,
25 January 2010
A man with
an imitation firearm who was
threatening to harm himself in the centre of Preston, Lancashire,
was tasered by police and arrested on suspicion of affray.
The Citizen,
25 January 2010
A teenage
boy has been charged with threatening a worker at a takeaway in Darwen,
Lancashire, with a firearm in an attempted robbery. A male armed
with a .177 air pistol went into the
takeaway and demanded money.
BBC,
25 January 2010 *
A couple in
Wichelstowe, Swindon, were forced at gunpoint to hand over money
from their safe when two men broke into their home. The incident is
being treated as an aggravated burglary. The male victim was
pistol-whipped and his partner was punched to the ground (Swindon
Advertiser, 25 January 2010). A man has been remanded in custody
charged with attempted
assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possessing cannabis and
having an imitation
firearm.
(Swindon Advertiser, 23 February 2010). A man has pleaded
guilty and been jailed for seven years (see
June 2010 Incidents).
The Argus,
25 January 2010 *
When a man
walked past police officers who had pulled over a motorist in Brighton
he waved a gun at them. The man was rugby tackled by a third officer
and arrested. The weapon was seized and will be examined to see if
it is capable of firing live ammunition or is an imitation firearm.
He was also being questioned about an armed robbery at a betting shop in
Brighton (see below). The man was sentenced to five years in
prison for possession of an imitation firearm
and robbery. A police officer has been commended for tackling him (BBC,
20 May 2010).
Evening News,
24 January 2010
A robber
holding a bag with what looked like a gun threatened the staff at a store
in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and demanded they hand over money.
The staff refused but he grabbed cash.
BBC,
24 January 2010
Armed police
were called to an address in Pensford, near Bristol, after concern
there might be a firearm on the premises. A man was arrested on
suspicion of theft, assault and criminal damage, but no firearm was found.
This is Derbyshire,
23 January 2010
Police are
investigating whether a handgun was brandished by an intruder in the home
of a woman and her young daughter in Derby. A man forced his
way into the house and demanded cash.
Spalding Today,
23 January 2010
A man walked
off with a "substantial amount" of cash from a building society branch in
Spalding, Lincolnshire, after threatening staff with a gun
concealed in a bag.
Sentinel,
23 January 2010
A drunken
man terrified his ex-partner and her teenage daughter when he held a gun
to his head after she dumped him. The incident happened at her home
in Newcastle, Staffordshire, in July 2009. Peter Brereton
produced a gun and a knife from his van and imitated shots to his head.
He has pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence and harassment. The weapon was a
BB gun which belonged to a friend and
Brereton kept in his van. He was jailed for 12 months and is subject
to a restraining order preventing him for contacting his ex-girl friend
for three years.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner,
23 January 2010
An air rifle pellet was fired at
a ground floor window at a property in Golcar,
West
Yorkshire.
Evening Post
(Bristol),
23 January 2010
A road was
closed near Nailsea, Bristol, after reported sightings of a man
carrying a gun. No one was found and the road reopened two hours
later.
Evening Post
(Bristol),
23 January 2010
A school in
Keynsham, Bristol, had to be sealed off after reports that a youth
with "a grudge" was heading to the site with a gun. A 16-year-old
boy and a 15-year-old girl were arrested away from the school site on
suspicion of possessing a firearm. No weapon was recovered.
Echo,
23 January 2010
Two men, one
of whom was brandishing a handgun, robbed an assistant of £100 takings and
her handbag at a fast food outlet in Southend, Essex. A
teenager has been charged with robbery (Echo, 2 February 2010).
This is Nottingham,
22 January 2010
Paul Easom
has been jailed for five years after allowing a member of a crime gang to
hide a pump-action shotgun in a rabbit
hutch at the back of his home in Bestwood, Nottinghamshire.
He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and possession of
a shotgun. He has been jailed for five years. Mark Badder of
Aspley was sent to prison for five-and-a-half years after pleading guilty
to supplying drugs and possessing ammunition.
This is Nottingham,
22 January 2010
Jason
Mility, 19, pointed a loaded firearm, a Baikal, at a couple in bed when he
climbed into their home in Bobbers Mill, Nottinghamshire, in March
2009. He was tackled by the man and later linked to the crime by DNA
evidence after he bit the man's thumb. Mility was found guilty of
aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition
and a prohibited weapon. He was jailed for 13 years.
Messenger,
22 January 2010
A
15-year-old has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm after a small
handgun was found in his bedroom in Old Trafford, Manchester.
He told police he was keeping the weapon for someone else and his family
would be harmed if he refused. He was given an 18-month detention
and training order.
Express & Star,
22 January 2010
A bullet
proof vest and a loaded .38 Smith & Wesson handgun were discovered during
a police raid on a house in Bushbury, Wolverhampton. One
woman has already appeared in court charged with possession of the firearm
and money laundering offences and a man has been remanded in custody.
Coventry Telegraph,
22 January 2010
A man was
arrested by police inside a pub in Coventry and charged with
possession of a firearm, possession of a cartridge and bullets and two
counts of common assault.
The Argus,
22 January 2010
A man was
arrested on suspicion of theft and going equipped for theft after a man on
crutches waved a gun around on a bus in Brighton. An
imitation firearm was recovered.
Ham & High,
21 January 2010
A youth
worker was shot in the knee on his way home in Gospel Oak, north
London. It is understood that the victim tried to intervene in an
argument between two groups of men. A 16-year-old was hit when a
bullet ricocheted into his head. Both victims are believed to be in
a stable condition.
Clitheroe Advertiser and
Times,
21 January 2010
Two men have
been charged with possessing an imitation handgun
with intent to cause another to believe unlawful violence would be used
against him. The incident happened in Clitheroe, Lancashire.
BBC,
21 January 2010
A number of
men have been convicted for their part in an operation that involved
converting blank-firing guns into lethal weapons at a factory in
Ancoats,
Manchester
(see November 2009
Incidents). Michael Sammon was convicted of conspiracy to
possess firearms with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to import
firearms, conspiracy to manufacture firearms and conspiracy to possess
ammunition. He masterminded the illegal importing of hundreds of
alarm flare guns from Germany. He has been jailed for 30 years (BBC,
22 January 2010). Colin Hughes and Anthony Key were
convicted of assisting Sammon and will be sentenced later. Five
other men were sentenced in 2006 for their part in the operation.
BBC,
21 January 2010
A man had a
gun pointed to his head and the trigger pulled during an attack at a house
in Longsight, Greater Manchester. No shots were fired and
police are not sure if the gun was real or an imitation. Two raiders
stormed into the house and also pointed a pitchfork at the victim.
They made off with cash.
BBC,
21 January 2010 *
A
16-year-old is in a stable condition in hospital after he was shot in
Wolverhampton. His injuries are not thought to be
life-threatening. It was later claimed that he had been the victim
of mistaken identity (Sunday Mercury, 31 January 2010).
BBC,
21 January 2010
A man has
been arrested in connection with an armed robbery at a betting shop in
Brighton after a man threatened staff with a handgun before escaping
with cash. He was released without charge (The Argus, 25
January 2010). Another man has been charged with armed robbery,
having an imitation firearm with
intent to commit an indictable offence and possessing an imitation firearm
in a public place (BBC, 25 January 2010).
This is Gloucestershire,
20 January 2010
Three men
raided a post office in Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire, and
snatched thousands of pounds. The men were believed to be armed and
one witness thought they saw one of them with a gun when they were running
away.
The Press,
20 January 2010
Adam
Flanagan had an airgun and a knife
when he woke residents in Clifton, York, with the sound of smashing
glass and demanding some "glue" from people in a house. He had been
drinking and had taken diazepam. He pleaded guilty to possessing a
knife in public and possessing an airgun in public and has been jailed for
50 weeks which includes a previous suspended sentence.
Oldham
Advertiser,
20 January 2010
Two men
threatened shop workers at a store in Hathershaw, Greater
Manchester. One of them pulled out a silver pistol and demanded cash
from the till. The gunman pulled the trigger a number of times while
his accomplice urged him to "shoot them". The men fled with a small
quantity of cigarettes. A man has been arrested on suspicion of
robbery.
Manchester Evening News,
20 January 2010
Matthew
Clarke pointed a sawn-off shotgun at a
pedestrian after the man complained when Clarke soaked him by driving
through a puddle in north Manchester. Two days later he drove
past his victim and shouted abuse at him and the man was able to note his
car registration. Clarke was arrested has pleaded guilty to
possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence and to
possessing a prohibited weapon. He has been jailed for six years.
Lancashire Evening Post,
20 January 2010
Sean
Doherty, 20, has been handed an ASBO which bans him from carrying any form
of air weapon in public for the next 10 years. He had pointed a
loaded air rifle at a man in
Morecambe, Lancashire. The victim was his ex-partner's uncle who
had sold him the gun. The recorder noted that "there was significant
animosity between the defendant's immediate family and that of his former
partner, with whom he is now reunited". Doherty was also given a
suspended 36-week jail term and was ordered to carry out 120 hours of
unpaid work.
Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette,
20 January 2010
A man has
been charged with possessing a firearm with intent to commit an indictable
offence and possession of an offensive weapon. He is alleged to have
pulled a cosh and a handgun from the waistband of his trousers during a
taxi ride from South Shields to Newcastle.
Beeston Today,
20 January 2010
Four masked
men entered a home in Bramley, West Yorkshire, and threatened the
occupants with what is believed to be a sawn-off
shotgun. The men stole electrical goods, including mobile
phones.
BBC,
20 January 2010 *
A man was
shot in the arm at an address in Trench, Telford in Shropshire.
He was treated for pellet wounds to his arm. A man and a woman have
been charged with attempted murder. The victim was shot with a
sawn-off shotgun during a row over an
illegal prescription drugs deal (Shropshire Star, 22 January 2010).
A man has been found guilty of attempted murder (see
November 2010 Incidents).
BBC,
20 January 2010
A gunman
threatened a member of staff at a petrol station in Colnbrook,
Berkshire, and demanded money. He escaped with a "substantial
amount" of cash.
West Yorkshire Police,
19 January 2010
A teenage
man is to be charged with a drugs offence and possession of a prohibited
weapon following a raid in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, during
which a sawn-off shotgun was found.
Northampton Chronicle &
Echo,
19 January 2010
A suspected
armed robber has been remanded in custody. He is charged with
possessing an imitation black handgun
and firing it at police officers with intent to resist arrest in December
2009. It is alleged he was being monitored for a series of armed
robberies in Northamptonshire and other counties. He is due to be
charged with a series of alleged armed robberies including one at a
building society in Northampton.
News & Star,
19 January 2010
Allen
Williams and Matthew Cook went shooting with
shotguns on private farmland with the permission of the owner,
but decided to move to a nearby hillside for target practice with an empty
can. They were stopped by police on a road in Shap, Cumbria.
Cook pleaded guilty to having a single barrel 20 bore shotgun and Williams
admitted having a 12 bore over and under double barrel firearm, which he
held lawfully. They must each do 80 hours of unpaid community work.
The gun belonging to Williams will be destroyed, the smaller gun has been
returned to its lawful owner.
Lincolnshire Echo,
19 January 2010
Kylee Orton
pointed an air pistol at the head of
her ex-boyfriend during an attack on him in which she and her partner Paul
Golightly also wielded a scythe and inflicted a deep cut to the victim's
wrist. The two were high on drugs at the time of the attack at their
home in Lincoln in June 2009. When police their home they
found three air rifles, an air pistol, and a number of other weapons.
Orton was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to possession of a
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, Golightly was jailed for
three years after he admitted attempting to rob the victim of prescribed
medication.
Herald (East Herts),
19 January 2010
A man armed
with a gun approached a car in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and demanded
money from the woman driver. She wound up her window and drove away
but was left "extremely shaken".
Cambs24,
19 January 2010
An
air
pistol was amongst items stolen from a house in
Long Sutton, Cambridgeshire.
Cambridge News,
19 January 2010
A man
threatened staff at a building society branch in Cambridge. A
man is in custody charged with robbery and possession of a firearm.
This is the West Country,
18 January 2010
There have
been five reported incidents of damage to windows of properties in the Martock area of Somerset. The person responsible has been
firing an air rifle.
Swindon Advertiser,
18 January 2010 *
A man has
been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was shot in the
shoulder in Pinehurst, Wiltshire. His injuries are not
thought to be life-threatening. One man
has been found guilty of wounding with intent, a man and a teenage woman
pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause actual bodily harm and a 16-year-old
pleaded guilty to wounding with intent (see
December 2010 Incidents).
Stourbridge News,
18 January 2010 *
A man was
shot during an incident at a bar in Brierley Hill, West Midlands.
He received treatment for a minor injury before being discharged from
hospital. A man has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted
murder and possessing a gun with intent to endanger life (see
November 2010 Incidents).
Northern Echo,
18 January 2010 *
Raymond
Hetherington fired a sawn-off shotgun
outside a shop in South Moor, County Durham, in June 2009 (see
Incidents). He
intended to fire the weapon at a rival but inadvertently hit a friend who
was taken to hospital with pellet injuries to his abdomen. He
admitted possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and intending
to cause grievous bodily harm. He has been jailed for
nine-and-a-half years. His friend admitted violent disorder and
possessing an offensive weapon, a machete, in public and has been given a
two year sentence (see March
2010 Incidents).
The Journal,
18 January 2010
Karl Quigley
who was hired to help build a new house in Darras Hall,
Northumberland, stole items from another house in the same grounds when it
was left empty. Among the stolen items was a replica
BB gun. He admitted burglary and
was jailed for 35 weeks, suspended for 12 months with supervision and 100
hours' unpaid work.
Cambridge News,
18 January 2010
A coroner
has recorded that a man found with gunshot wounds in his van in
Landbeach, Cambridgeshire, in August 2009 had taken his own life after
being diagnosed with cancer. The alarm was raised when the man was
found to be missing, along with a gun from the firearms cabinet.
BBC,
18 January 2010
Two men
threatened staff with a handgun at a store in Southwick, Sussex.
The men demanded cash from the till. The robbery is being linked to
a similar incident in Southwick five days earlier when a man
produced a handgun and demanded cash (see below). Small amounts of
money were stolen in both incidents.
BBC,
18 January 2010
Four men
forced their way into a house in St Helens, Merseyside, and
fired a shotgun. A young boy
suffered a cut to his head from flying glass during the forced entry.
Three teenage men have been arrested and are in police custody (Liverpool
Echo, 19 January 2010). A teenager has been charged with several
offences (The Reporter (St Helens), 20 January 2010).
St Helens Star,
17 January 2010 *
Two men have
been arrested and bailed in connection with a robbery at the railway
station in Lea Green, Merseyside. Three men, allegedly armed
with a gun and a knife, threatened two teenagers and escaped with a mobile
phone and a silver chain. An image of a youth wanted in connection
with the incident has been released (The Reporter (St Helens), 9
February 2010). Three teenagers have each been charged with two
counts of robbery and one has been charged with one count of possession of
an imitation firearm and two with
possession of a bladed article (St Helens Star, 10 March 2010).
Two teenagers have received 12-month detention orders and a third has been
given an 18-month rehabilitation order and will be subject to electronic
tagging and a curfew (see August
2010 Incidents).
Local Guardian,
17 January 2010
Armed police
went to a road in Raynes Park, south London, after reports of a gun
fight in a residential property with a man seen wielding a handgun.
Two men were arrested. The gun was found to be an
air pistol.
BBC,
17 January 2010 *
A man was
arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm after armed police officers
were called to a post office in the centre of Nottingham. A
man has been charged with possession of an imitation
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence (This is
Nottingham, 18 January 2010). He has pleaded guilty of being in
possession of an imitation firearm in a public place and been sentenced to
nine months in jail (see April
2010 Incidents).
West Yorkshire Police,
16 January 2010
An
imitation firearm and a quantity of
cannabis were found at a house in Manningham, Bradford, during a
police raid.
This is South Devon,
16 January 2010
A man who
bought an air rifle over the internet
'for his personal safety' brandished the weapon on the seafront in
Torquay, Devon, in November 2009. Anthony Debroize was spotted
taking aim at a CCTV camera. He was told in court that he was 'lucky
he was not shot' by officers who attended the scene. He had been out
drinking at the time. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order
and three-month curfew with tagging. His air rifle will be
destroyed.
Telegraph & Argus,
16 January 2010
A police
community support officer (PCSO) has been suspended from duty after he
posed with two handguns on a social networking website. A cache of
imitation firearms was among items
recovered by police from his home in Otley, West Yorkshire.
Sunderland Echo,
15 January 2010
James Mason
from Peterlee, County Durham, assaulted his partner five times and
among a number of threats showed her his sawn-off
shotgun. He has admitted harassment. He has been
remanded in custody until he is sentenced.
Star,
15 January 2010
A
15-year-old boy was shot in the eye with a pellet from a
ball bearing gun as he walked along a street in Langold,
Nottinghamshire. The pellet scratched his cornea.
Romford Recorder,
15 January 2010
A
15-year-old boy was almost blinded when he was shot in the face with a
paintball machine gun in a drive-by
attack in Rainham, east London. The shooting may be linked to
the theft of ten high power paintball rifles, which look almost identical
to an M4 machine gun, from a paintball centre in Upminster in
December 2009. A jewellers shop in Rainham has also been shot at.
News Shopper,
15 January 2010
A man has
been arrested after police approached two men in Herne Hill, south
London, and a search revealed he was carrying a gun. A second
suspect escaped on a train to Orpington but the man eluded the
police and there was no sign of any more firearms.
Hartlepool Mail,
15 January 2010
A 17-year-old was lucky to escape injury when he was hit in the back of the
neck with a pellet fired from an airgun.
He was with friends outside shops in Hartlepool at the time of the
shooting.
Chad (Mansfield),
15 January 2010
Richard Hill
threatened staff at his mother's place of work in Kirkby,
Nottinghamshire, with an imitation gun
and has been jailed for nine months. He also admitted threatening
behaviour and having the gun in the street in August 2009 (see
September 2009 Incidents).
He and his mother had a troubled history and he had followed her to work
and, after being escorted from the premises, pulled out the gun.
BBC,
15 January 2010
Terence
Gavan has been jailed for 11 years after admitting 22 counts relating to
the manufacture and possession of improvised explosive devices, firearms
and ammunition plus six offences under the Terrorism Act for the
possession of weapons manuals. More than 30 firearms, including
pistols and revolvers, were among the weaponry found in his room at his
home in Batley, West Yorkshire. Gavan was discharged from the
Army when he was jailed in 1993 after he produced a firearm in a
"threatening manner" during an argument in a pub in Dewsbury.
He had a 'long-standing preoccupation with firearms and explosives'.
There was little evidence of what he intended to use the weapons for, but
the court heard he had a 'strong hostility' towards immigrants.
BBC,
15 January 2010
A man has
been found with fatal gunshot wounds at a gun club in Kibworth,
Leicestershire. Police do not think that anyone else was involved (Leicester
Mercury, 16 January 2010). A post mortem examination was unable
to determine the precise cause of death. An inquest heard how he
shot himself in the head during a lesson at a gun club. He turned
the shotgun on himself while his
instructor's back was turned. It was his second lesson. A
coroner has concluded that the man took his own life (Harborough Mail,
11 March 2010).
This is the West Country,
14 January 2010
Two men from
Bridgwater, Somerset, both failed to comply with the conditions of
shotgun certificates. Simon
Cresswell and Stephen Reilly were each fined £2000.
This is Surrey Today,
14 January 2010
A shopkeeper
in Dorking, Surrey, was targeted by a robber he thought was armed.
The assailant pointed something covered in a red handkerchief at the
victim, who feared it was a gun, and demanded money. The shopkeeper
refused and left the shop. When he returned the man had gone.
North-West Evening Mail,
14 January 2010
Alan Falloon
pointed a .22 air rifle through the
window of his home in Barrow, Cumbria, in August 2009 (see
Incidents) in a
dispute with another man who turned up at his address. At the time he
was banned from having firearms due to having served a jail term. He
pleaded guilty to one offence of possessing a firearm when prohibited from
doing so and also having a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
He has been given a two year sentence.
News Shopper,
14 January 2010
Two youths
were arrested in Deptford, south east London, after a police chase.
The officers saw four teenagers, one of whom was carrying a hammer.
One of the youths threw away the hammer and the other was seen to throw a
gun, discovered to be an air pistol,
beneath a bus.
Herald (East Herts),
14 January 2010
A shop
worker in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, was pistol whipped by a man who
locked him in a store cupboard. The gunman stole a large quantity of
cash during the robbery which took place last month.
Hartlepool Mail,
14 January 2010
David Dunn
was caught with a stun gun and tear
gas canisters stored at his home in Hartlepool. He said he
found them in a field and stored them for "public safety". He was
fined £50.
Birmingham Mail,
14 January 2010 *
A gang held
three cemetery workers at gunpoint and tied them up while they stole their
mini-digger which the gang then used to smash into a cash exchange centre
in Handsworth, Birmingham. Police who responded to an alarm
were threatened with a pistol. The gang fled the scene but police
later recovered a number of cars with thousands of pounds of cash believed
to have been stolen. A shotgun
and small arms ammunition were also found. Three men and a woman
have been charged with armed robbery and kidnap, a fifth man has also been
charged with firearms offences (BBC, 8 March 2010).
One man has been found guilty of a number of charges,
including six of possessing a firearm, and a second man has admitted a
charge of robbery (see March
2011 Incidents).
BBC,
14 January 2010
Two guns, a
pump-action shotgun and a rifle, and a
quantity of ammunition were seized by police during raids in Bootle,
Merseyside. The weapons were recovered as part of an investigation
into a shooting at a house in Walton (see below). An
18-year-old was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, possession of a
Section 1 firearm and a drugs offence. A 16-year-old, who was also
arrested on suspicion of a drugs offence, and a 17-year-old were arrested
on suspicion of criminal damage and possession of a firearm. Five
others have been arrested on suspicion of drugs offences.
BBC,
14 January 2010
Police found
a gun during a raid on a property in Reading, Berkshire. A
man has been arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm.
The Advertiser,
14 January 2010
A man was
shot at from a passing car in an airgun
attack in Guiseley, West Yorkshire. He was hit in the chest
but escaped injury because he was given some protection by his jacket and
fleece.
Waltham Forest Guardian,
13 January 2010
A man has
been shot in the face in Walthamstow, north east London. He
is in a serious but stable condition in hospital, but has been left with
potentially "life-changing" injuries.
St Helens Star,
13 January 2010
Armed police
surrounded a pub in the centre of St Helens, Merseyside, after a
tip off that robbery suspects, possibly armed with a gun, were inside.
It turned out to be a false alarm.
Reading Post,
13 January 2010
A man has
appeared in court charged with aggravated robbery for attacking a man at
gunpoint at his home in Woodley, Berkshire. The man is
alleged to have entered a home armed with a handgun and stealing money, a
games console and two televisions.
Harlow Herald,
13 January 2010
Two men have
been arrested in connection with a robbery in which a security guard and
an engineer were held up at a bank in Epping, Essex. Two men,
one of whom had a handgun, threatened the victims, demanded money and took
a large sum before leaving the bank.
Express,
13 January 2010 *
A leading
clay pigeon shooter has been found dead after apparently committing
suicide. His body was found at his home in Stapleford,
Wiltshire. A shotgun was lying
nearby.
The coroner
recorded that he took his own life after the breakdown of his marriage and
an impending court case left him depressed (Salisbury Journal, 26
April 2010).
Evening Star,
13 January 2010
A man has
been arrested after threatening staff at a newsagents in Sudbury,
Suffolk, and demanding cigarettes. He was armed with an
imitation firearm. The 19-year-old has been charged with
robbery and possession of an imitation firearm (Evening Star, 15
January 2010).
Evening Chronicle,
13 January 2010 *
A man who
has been on the run for three months has been tracked down to a house in
Byker, Tyneside. Police had found a cannabis farm and a
sawn-off shotgun at his home in Walker
in October 2009. He has been charged with possessing a firearm,
handling stolen goods and drugs offences. He has pleaded guilty (see
April 2010 Incidents).
The Argus,
13 January 2010
A man armed
with a handgun held up an off licence in Southwick, Brighton.
He pointed the gun at two cashiers and stole £160 from the till.
Swindon Advertiser,
12 January 2010 *
Matthew
Smith, a member of staff at a bookmaker's in Swindon, told police
he had been held up at gunpoint when Luke Corcoran pretended to carry out
a raid in December 2009 (see
Incidents). The pair got away with £8300. Both men
have pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to steal. Corcoran
also admitted possessing an imitation firearm
at the time of committing a specified offence. He has been jailed
for three-and-a-half years and Smith for two years (Swindon Advertiser,
7 February 2010). Corcoran's sentence has been cut to two years and
nine months on appeal (Swindon Advertiser, 14 July 2010).
Press Association,
12 January 2010
Four men are
on trial accused of taking part in a hold-up at a warehouse at Heathrow
Airport in February 2004. They all deny a series of charges
including robbery and firearm possession. The trial is unprecedented
as it is being heard without a jury.
Liverpool Echo,
12 January 2010
A gang with
a gun held a man hostage in his own home in Prescot, Merseyside, to
steal his car and computer. He also handed over his watch and cash.
Leicester Mercury,
12 January 2010
A couple
were robbed in Highfields, Leicester, by men they believed they
were meeting to buy a second-hand car. One the men was carrying a
gun. They threatened the couple, punched the husband in the head and
stole the wife's handbag as well as stealing the cash they had brought
with them to buy the car.
Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette,
12 January 2010
Three people
have been arrested during a series of raids at addresses in South
Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland in which drugs were
recovered along with four firearms including two modified
air rifles, a
starting pistol and an
air pistol.
Hemel Today,
12 January 2010
A man and a
woman have appeared in court after a shotgun
was allegedly found in the loft of the pub they were running in Hemel
Hempstead, Hertfordshire. They were charged with possession of a
shotgun without a certificate.
BBC,
12 January 2010
Two men
armed with what was thought to be a firearm threatened security guards
filling a cash machine at a service station in Awsworth,
Nottingham. The men escaped with a large amount of money.
Avon and Somerset Police,
12 January 2010
Three
handguns and one shotgun have been
handed to police in Bristol following intelligence led activity by
specialist firearms officers.
The Star,
11 January 2010
Three men
armed with a handgun stole phones from the stock room during an armed
robbery at a mobile phone shop in Page Hall, Sheffield.
Lancashire Evening Post,
11 January 2010
Martin Burke
threatened a shop assistant in a shop in Preston, Lancashire, with
an imitation rifle in June 2009, but
was tackled by the shop assistant and pushed out of the shop. A
passer-by followed Burke and another wrote down the registration number of
his getaway car. He was convicted of robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm and a knife and jailed for seven years.
BBC,
11 January 2010
Three men
thought to be armed with a stun gun
and knife threatened a man in an attempted robbery in Standens Barn,
Northampton. The men approached the victim and demanded money but
the victim ran off and stayed in a nearby shop.
BBC,
11 January 2010 *
Two police
constables from Durham Police have pleaded guilty to misconduct in
public office. Damien Cobain and another officer, who faces further
charges of theft in relation to firearms, were arrested when officers
investigating a gun stolen from a farm were told it was bought from police
(see April 2009 Incidents).
Cobain has been sentenced to 40 weeks, suspended for 18 months and the
other officer, Maurice Allen, was sentenced to 51 weeks, suspended for two
years (BBC, 9 July 2010).
Slough & Langley
Observer,
10 January 2010
Binmen in
Slough, Berkshire, have reported a rising number of assaults between
2008-09, including being shot at with an air
rifle in Cippenham. Between 2007-08 someone pulled
a gun on a crew in Chalvey before shouting abuse and driving away.
Echo,
10 January 2010
Mthatshelwa
Mabandla was found with a stash of cocaine, a
sawn-off shotgun and cartridges at his home in Westcliffe,
Essex, in September 2009. The gun was stolen during a burglary in
Benfleet, Essex, in May 2009 and subsequently cut down to a length of two
feet. He admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply,
possession and production of cannabis and possession of a firearm.
He was jailed for five years.
Telegraph,
9 January 2010 *
Kasha
Peniston, 19, who had been jailed for shooting dead his 12-year-old sister
(see 2007 Incidents),
has pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing
ammunition without a certificate, possessing a firearm when prohibited and
possession of cannabis. He will face a mandatory five year sentence.
He was found with a loaded handgun when police stopped a car in Gorton,
Manchester, in October 2009 (see
Incidents). He has now been jailed
for 9 years (BBC, 19 February 2010).
Northampton Chronicle &
Echo,
9 January 2010 *
A landowner
has appeared in court accused of threatening a hot air balloon passenger
with a shotgun when the balloon landed
near Towcester, Northamptonshire. She pleaded not guilty to
charges of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and
assaulting the victim on the same occasion. She changed her plea to
guilty and is awaiting sentence (see
April 2010 Incidents).
Liverpool Echo,
9 January 2010
A house in
Walton, Liverpool, was attacked whilst three young children slept
indoors. A gang of five men opened fire with a
shotgun and a brick or rock was thrown
through a window. Eight people have been bailed after being arrested
after guns and drugs were found when police raided properties in Walton (Liverpool
Echo, 16 January 2010).
Haringey Independent,
9 January 2010
A student
will appear in court charged with possession of a firearm and possession
of ammunition without a certificate. A loaded firearm, a
BB gun and computer equipment were seized
by police during a raid on his house in Muswell Hill, north London.
He has admitted the charges and been jailed for five years (see
April 2010 Incidents).
Yorkshire Evening Post,
8 January 2010
Ian Cawood
has been jailed for two years after he admitted firing an
air rifle from the window of his home
in Middleton, Leeds, in December 2007. A pellet from the gun
lodged four centimetres deep in the back of a man. The pellet has
not been removed. The shooting followed a long-running dispute
between Cawood and another man who recruited the victim. He pleaded
guilty to having a firearm with intent and unlawful wounding connected to
the offence.
This is Wiltshire,
8 January 2010
A shot was
fired from what police believe was an air rifle
into the living room of a home in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. A
couple were watching television at the time. The pellet went through
one pane of a double glazed window.
The Star,
8 January 2010 *
Daoud Khan
has pleaded guilty to kidnap, intimidation and possessing a firearm.
His victim was a man who had double-crossed him in a drug deal. In
Sheffield he fired bullets at a car driven by a friend of the
victim who was intending to sell the drugs with him. The victim was
held hostage at a house in Burngreave where Khan held a gun to his
head and was later driven to Middlesbrough where he had a knife
held to his head by Khan. The victim managed to escape. He and
his friend have each admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
Two other men, Feras Saad and Sarbaz Abdullah, were found guilty of
conspiracy to conspiracy to kidnap and jailed for seven and six years,
respectively. Khan was ordered to serve a minimum of eight years (Sheffield
Telegraph, 16 February 2010).
The Sentinel,
8 January 2010
A man who
produced a replica gun after being tormented by a gang has been jailed for
eight months. The incident took place in Cheadle, Staffordshire,
in February 2009. Afterwards the police found two
replica handguns, three
air rifles, a meat cleaver and a knife inside Matthew Alcock's
house. He did not have a certificate to hold one of the air rifles. He
said he had been left the guns by his grandfather. He pleaded guilty to
two charges of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear
of violence, and one charge of possessing an air rifle without holding a
firearm certificate.
Northampton Chronicle &
Echo,
8 January 2010
Four men armed with a handgun,
an axe, a crowbar and a stun gun
threatened staff at a cash and carry store in Northampton.
The manager was asked to open the safe and the men stole large quantities
of cash and cigarettes.
Kilburn Times,
8 January 2010
A man was shot in a street in
Paddington, west London. He was taken to hospital where his
condition was described as stable.
Evening Gazette,
8 January 2010
A man has been remanded in
custody following an alleged firearm incident in Stockton,
Teesside. He is accused of possessing an
imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and
also faces driving charges.
Bracknell Forest
Standard,
8 January 2010
A teenager was held at
gunpoint by an armed man at a shop in Sandhurst, Berkshire.
The man demanded that the safe was opened but as there was no safe he
asked for money from the till. The teenager said that the gun did
not look real but "you don't want to take the risk".
Bolton News,
8 January 2010
A boy who burst into a
classroom at a school in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in October
2008 and brandished a pistol, which turned out to be a school prop, was
found guilty last year of possession of an
imitation firearm with an intent to cause fear or violence.
He was given a 12-month supervision order. His appeal against
conviction has now been rejected. It is believed his action was to
shock the class teacher who is still off work.
Lancashire Evening Post,
7 January 2010
A man threatened a shop worker
with what appeared to be a handgun during an attempted robbery at an off
licence in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire. The owner did not hand
over any cash and the man ran away empty-handed.
Harrow Observer,
7 January 2010
A man armed with an
airgun and a sword shot a member of staff
in the head at a bank in Kingsbury, north west London. The
man stole cash. The injured man was taken to hospital with pellet
wounds to the head and received treatment. The weapons were
recovered from the scene.
Express & Echo,
7 January 2010
A 13-year-old boy from
Wonford, Exeter, has admitted shooting a 15-year-old girl in the face
with an air rifle. He pleaded
guilty to assaulting the girl and inflicting actual bodily harm. His
friend, who is 15, has pleaded guilty to shooting the girl in the chest,
arm and leg.
Evening Gazette,
7 January 2010
A gunshot is alleged to have
been fired in Norton, Teesside. The incident took place after
an argument started at a house, and a car parked outside was dented and
the driver's window smashed. A man has been charged with intent to
cause alarm and distress with a firearm as well as traffic offences.
Birmingham Mail,
7 January 2010
William Blake terrified staff
at a betting shop in Stirchley, Birmingham, in May 2009, but the
staff refused to hand over cash. He fled empty handed. He has
admitted robbery, possessing an imitation firearm
and possessing cocaine with intent to supply and has been jailed for nine
years.
The Star,
6 January 2010 *
Two men who sent two others to
threaten an ex-convict with a gun and told him to hand over £25,000 have
been jailed for nine years each. The incident took place in Ilkeston, Derbyshire
(This is Derbyshire,
5 January 2010). Wayne Reece and Michael McKenna were convicted
of blackmailing their victim. McKenna admitted a second charge of
possessing a stun gun disguised as a
torch which was found at his home in Woodseats, Sheffield, and was
given another six months' jail for this offence, to run concurrently.
McKenna has failed to get his sentence cut on appeal (The Star, 17
May 2010).
Newham Recorder,
6 January 2010 *
A murder inquiry has been
launched after a man was found with shotgun
wounds in Forest Gate, east London. The victim was taken to
hospital but died of his injuries. Five men were arrested, four of
whom have been released without charge (BBC, 8 January 2010).
An 18-year-old has been bailed pending further inquiries (Newham
Recorder, 16 January 2010). Seven people in total have been
arrested as part of the police investigation (Press Association, 16
January 2010). A reward of up to £10,000 is being offered by police
looking for a suspect in connection with the murder (East London
Advertiser, 18 May 2010). A man has now been charged with murder
and possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence (BBC,
29 May 2010).
Harrow Observer,
6 January 2010 *
A man was in a serious
condition after being shot in the head in Wembley, north west
London. It is believed the incident happened after the victim had
been to a New Years Eve party. A man has been accused of attempted
murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life (Harrow
Times, 8 January 2010). He was jailed for 11 years after he
admitted grievous bodily harm with intent and possessing a firearm with
intent to endanger life (see
November 2010 Incidents).
Express & Star,
6 January 2010 *
Altaf Ahmad Khan bought a 0.22
calibre silver Belgian revolver and ammunition at a car boot sale in
Cannock, Staffordshire, thinking it was a replica. The gun was
found by police when his home in Walsall, West Midlands, was raided
in November 2009. The gun was found to be capable of firing bullets.
Khan admitted possession of a firearm and ammunition for a firearm without
a certificate. He also admitted drugs charges. He has been
sentenced to eighteen months in jail, but the judge has called for an
inquiry into the decision to charge him with an offence that meant he
could not be jailed for five years (Express & Star, 25 February
2010).
Ealing Gazette,
6 January 2010
Cannabis plants and a
stun gun were seized in a raid at an address in Southall,
west London. A man and a woman were arrested.
The News,
5 January 2010 *
Shane Fudge, 19, from
Landport, Portsmouth, has admitted a racist assault in which he used
an air rifle to scare his victim in
December 2008. He also admitted possessing a firearm to cause fear
of violence. The victim had been shot in the back. He has been
sentenced to 12 months, and Jack Reed-French who was also involved in the
attack and punched the victim was given eight months (The News, 15
March 2010).
Clacton Gazette,
5 January 2010
An
airgun was recovered by police after a man was arrested in
Walton, Essex, in connection with a domestic assault.
The Argus,
5 January 2010
A woman has been spoken to by
the police after she carried an imitation machine gun through a housing
estate in Brighton. She was not formally arrested. She
claimed she did not know it was a crime to carry the
replica SA80 assault rifle in public.
The BB gun will be destroyed.
South London Press,
4 January 2010
The police have arrested an
11-year-old girl who was allegedly part of a gang of six young people, all
between 11 and 14 years old, who are suspected of robbing a woman with a
replica handgun in Stockwell,
south London, last month. Others have been arrested, the girls have
been released and the boys have been bailed.
The Shuttle
(Kidderminster),
4 January 2010 *
Adam Phillips and Alexander
Goodier have pleaded guilty to a burglary in Bewdley,
Worcestershire, when they stole cash and a number of items including an
air rifle. Goodier also admitted
possession of a prohibited weapon, a
stun gun, and possession of drugs. Two other people
pleaded guilty to converting criminal property. Goodier was jailed
for 12 months (The Shuttle (Kidderminster),
18 February 2010).
Malvern Gazette,
4 January 2010
Police firearms officers and
dog-handlers were called out after a report that a man was seen with a gun
in his hand. He was seen to point a Luger-type pistol at a car
driving along a road between Castlemorton, Worcestershire, and
Eastnor, Herefordshire. The man was not located.
Westmorland Gazette,
3 January 2010
The wooden stock and trigger
mechanism of a shotgun were found
wrapped up in a litter bin in Windermere, Cumbria. Police are
trying to identify the owner.
Dorset Echo,
2 January 2010
Armed police surrounded a
house in Weymouth, Dorset, after reports that a man was brandishing
a gun. He was reported to have been leaning out of the window of a
car with a handgun in his hand. The man was found to be preparing
for a fancy dress party and had a BB gun
as part of his costume. He had been to a friend's house to
borrow the gun.
Get Reading,
2 January 2010
A man from Caversham,
Berkshire, has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was shot
in the head with a shotgun. It
is reported that the victim, who received a glancing blow to her head, is
the arrested man's wife (The Sun, 4 January 2010). The man
has also been charged with possession of a sawn-off shotgun and criminal
damage, the latter charge relating to an incident with a neighbour in
which he is accused of smashing the back windscreen of a car with a
shotgun (Get Reading, 6 January 2010). He has been convicted
of attempted murder and admitted the other offences (see
June 2010 Incidents).
BBC,
2 January 2010 *
A teenager was shot in the
back in Allerton, Merseyside. He was taken to hospital where
his condition was described as critical but stable. It is believed
that two people, both armed with handguns, forced their way into a house
where the shooting took place. Four people, three men and a woman,
were being questioned by detectives on suspicion of possession of firearms
and possession of drugs with intent to supply after a handgun and a white
powder were discovered at a house in Allerton (Liverpool Daily Post,
3 January 2010). The four have been released on bail (BBC, 4
January 2010). The victim has admitted
possessing a firearm and ammunition and been jailed for five years and
four months (see October 2010
Incidents).
BBC, 1 January 2010
*
A man has died and another has
sustained critical injuries in a double shooting in Thornton Heath,
south London. The dead man, a publican's son, was apparently
shot in the head by a gunman in revenge for ejecting him from a party at
the pub. The other victim is his younger brother (Croydon
Guardian, 6 January 2010). A man has been found guilty of
murder, one count of attempted murder and a firearms charge (see
November 2010 Incidents).
SCOTLAND
Daily Record,
30 January 2010
A park manager is alleged to
have brandished a shotgun at one of
his workers at a country park near Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire.
The allegation is one of a list of complaints upheld against him. He
has, however, not been fired from his job.
Evening News,
29 January 2010
A raid on a house in
Edinburgh where a man had been beaten up in March 2009 uncovered an
arsenal of weapons including an air rifle.
A man who was one of a number of people who ran from the house with a
variety of weapons has pleaded guilty to assault to danger of life.
BBC,
28 January 2010
A man, who threatened a male
assistant with what appeared to be a gun, has escaped with hundreds of
pounds from a petrol station in Condorrat, North Lanarkshire.
Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser,
27 January 2010
A cache of firearms was
discovered at the back of the library in Coatbridge, North
Lanarkshire. Police refused to say whether the find was linked to
the fatal shooting of a man in Robroyston (see below).
icRenfrewshire,
23 January 2010
Two staff members were
threatened by men after with a knife and a suspected gun during a robbery
at a bookmaker's in Ballieston, Glasgow. A three-figure sum of
ash was stolen.
stv,
19 January 2010
A gunman fired a shot through
the window of a house in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. Four
people were inside the house at the time of the incident. The
occupants had heard what sounded like a gunshot outside the house the
previous day.
Evening Express,
19 January 2010
Benjamin Martin, 20, armed
himself with an airgun to confront a
suspected 'love rival' in April 2009. He was armed with the weapon
when the intended victim's step-brother answered the door of their home in
New Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire. Martin has admitted being in
possession of a firearm with intent to cause the step-brother to believe
that unlawful violence would be used against the other man.
Sentencing was deferred.
stv,
16 January 2010
A bookmakers in Shotts,
North Lanarkshire, was robbed at gunpoint. No one was injured but
two members of staff were left badly shaken. A man threatened them
with a gun and made off with cash.
BBC,
14 January 2010
Barry McCullagh has admitted
possessing a sawn-off shotgun and not
having a shotgun certificate. He found the weapon while walking a
dog and stashed it at a house near Castlemilk, Glasgow. The
house was raided by police in August 2009 and were later told of
McCullagh's involvement by his mother. He has been jailed for
five-and-a-half years.
BBC,
14 January 2010
Ross Scott shot at three cars
parked in a car park at the police station in Bo'ness,
West Lothian, in March 2009. He was armed with an
air rifle and caused thousands of pounds
worth of damage. He was ordered to complete 80 hours of community
service.
Sky News,
13 January 2010 *
A man was shot dead in the car
park of a supermarket in Robroyston, Glasgow. Police believe
the victim was deliberately targeted. Police have revealed that two
shots were fired from a handgun (Sunday Mail, 17 January 2010). It is reported that he was the
victim of a shooting in Auchinairn in November 2006 (see
Incidents) (Evening
Times, 14 January 2010). Tests have confirmed that guns found in
Coatbridge (see above) were used in the murder (BBC, 28
January 2010). A man has been charged with murder and with
possessing a Ruger .357 Magnum gun and 9mm self-loading pistol.
Another man faces the same charges but has not been arrested yet (Daily
Record, 3 August 2010).
Daily Record,
13 January 2010 *
Imran Sakur, Jamie Robertson,
Frank McGlone and Craig Kelbie have been found guilty of conspiracy to
murder and attempted murder. Robertson, who was hired by Sakur, shot
a man outside a casino in Edinburgh in June 2008 (see
Incidents).
McGlone acted as the getaway driver and Walker was a go-between. It
is believed that the weapon used was a starting
pistol converted to fire a home-made bullet. The bullet
is still lodged in the victim's cheek. Sakur, Robertson and Kelbie
have been jailed for 11 years, McGlone for 10 years (BBC, 9
February 2010).
Kirkintilloch Herald,
12 January 2010
A man was seen walking in
woods in Stepps, North Lanarkshire, carrying a
shotgun and wearing camouflaged clothing.
It is thought the man may have been hunting and, following the incident in
November 2009, the local Community Council are concerned for the safety of
walkers in the beauty spot.
The Sun,
11 January 2010 *
Three masked men rushed into a
store in Carluke, South Lanarkshire, and pointed a gun at staff. A
man who was drinking in the pub opposite ran over and jammed the door.
Despite being pistol-whipped the man and his friend pulled the gunman to
the ground and held him until the police arrived. A man has been
arrested in connection with the incident. A man, who was armed with
an air pistol, has admitted robbing
the store (see May 2010
Incidents).
Daily Record,
11 January 2010
Cameron Kennedy has admitted
failing to keep a shotgun, rifle and
cartridges in a secure place. When police went to his home in
Crieff, Perthshire, in July 2009 in relation to an outstanding matter
they found the front door insecure and saw a shotgun and a rifle lying
against the wall. He had only held a gun licence for a fortnight.
The acting chief constable told the court Kennedy was "unfit to be
entrusted with a firearm". Kennedy also admitted failing to sign
firearms certificates and failing to tell Tayside Police he had moved
house. He was fined £2000 and had his shotgun and firearms
certificates revoked (Perthshire Advertiser, 19 January 2010).
WALES
Monmouth Today,
27 January 2010 *
A man was arrested following a
report of a woman motorist being tailed through Monmouth by a
second vehicle driven by a man with a firearm. A loaded firearm was
seized and the man was charged with three offences including possession of
a shotgun with intent to cause
unlawful violence. In a linked incident armed police were called to
a property in the Wonastow area to deal with what was described as
a 'domestic incident' involving a firearm. A man who had been
chasing his ex-partner has been jailed after admitting possessing a
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence (see
August 2010 Incidents).
BBC,
24 January 2010
Bullets were stolen along with
bank cards and powerful medicine in a house burglary at the home of an
RSPCA worker in Llangernyw, Conwy.
Liverpool Daily Post,
19 January 2010 *
A husband and wife have been
found dead at their home in Sealand, Flintshire. It is
understood a gun may have been fired at some point prior to the deaths,
but police could not confirm the circumstances of how the couple died.
The husband was killed by a shotgun
wound to his head but a post mortem examination was unable to establish
how his wife died (BBC, 20 January 2010). A coroner has
recorded that the wife unlawfully killed her husband before killing
herself (see October 2010
Incidents).
BBC,
15 January 2010
A man and a 15-year-old boy
have been arrested after an armed robbery at a shop in Bontnewydd,
Gwynedd. A large amount of cash was taken by two people who entered
the shop brandishing weapons, believed to be a firearm and a hammer.
BBC,
14 January 2010 *
Darren Tinklin from
Blackwood, Gwent, has admitted using his home to make explosives and
possessing a firearm (see
November 2009 Incidents). He has been jailed for three
years (BBC, 23 February 2010).
South Wales Echo,
8 January 2010
Michael Ashford picked up
illegal rifle ammunition, a 72-shell case, on a hillside and took it to
his home in Trebanog, Mid Glamorgan, where it was discovered by
police during an unrelated drugs search. The ammunition is designed
to cause "horrific" injuries. Ashford pleaded guilty to possessing
explosive ammunition and will be sentenced later.
BBC,
3 January 2010 *
A man was injured by an
air rifle at Llanelli railway
station. The victim was released after treatment in hospital.
Three males and two females were arrested by police. A 16-year-old
who admitted firing the gun has been given an conditional discharge (see
May 2010 Incidents).
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
BBC,
29 January 2010
A cat
was shot eight times with an airgun
in Astley, Greater Manchester. He was found with collapsed at an
industrial site and had been shot in the head, neck, abdomen and paw.
He has lost an eye and has had to undergo two operations. Vets were
unable to remove three of the pellets.
Watford Observer,
21 January 2010
A cat was shot in the head
with an air rifle in Watford,
Hertfordshire. She returned home with her gum and a tooth hanging
down and really distressed. Vets have since repaired the gum and
removed her tooth and the airgun pellet.
Herald (Plymouth),
21 January 2010
A cat has been shot dead in
Ivybridge, Devon. He was found to be struggling to breathe and
within minutes blood was pouring from his mouth. An X-ray revealed
he had been shot by an air rifle
pellet which had gone through his chest and lung and became lodged on the
other side of his body.
Uxbridge Gazette,
20 January 2010
A cat was lucky to be alive
after being shot with a .177 calibre air rifle.
The attack took place next to the Grand Union Canal in Uxbridge,
west London. A pellet was removed from his back. The crime is
being treated as a firearms incident.
Cambs24,
19 January 2010
A swan was found with
fishing-related injuries and an air rifle
pellet in his jaw in Milton, Cambridge. The pellet was
lodged under his beak but the wound had healed and was not likely to cause
any problems.
Paisley Daily Express,
13 January 2010
A gunman has shot a young
urban fox in the head and left it to die in a back garden. The
animal had been adopted by local families in Paisley. It is
thought it was killed by a shot from a .22 rifle.
Kent Online,
6 January 2010
A cat has needed major surgery
after being shot in Minster, Kent. An X-ray revealed an
airgun pellet which had entered through
his lower abdomen, hit his intestines in four different places, penetrated
his liver and caused a rupture in his diaphragm before becoming lodged in
his thorax. His treatment will cost about £1500.
Independent,
5 January 2010
A rescue pony has died and
another seriously injured after they were shot. The attack took
place at the Exmoor Pony Centre in Dulverton, Somerset.
