MARCH 2009
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
This is Somerset,
31 March
2009
A police firearms team was
despatched to Wookey, Somerset, following reports of a shooting.
A resident contact police after hearing a series of shouts and screaming,
followed by what she believed to be a gunshot. So far there is no
indication that any weapons were fired in the village.
The Star, 31
March 2009
A man whose father was the
victim of a fatal shooting in Pitsmoor, Sheffield, has been charged
with possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence on the day
before his father's death in March 2007 (see
Incidents).
Craven Herald &
Pioneer,
31 March
2009
A double glazed door of a home
in Skipton, North Yorkshire, has been damaged by an
airgun pellet.
BBC, 31 March
2009
Two robbers armed with a
handgun and a knife escaped with cash after threatening staff and
customers at a shop in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Three people
have been arrested, a man has been released on bail and a woman and boy
remain in custody (BBC, 2 April 2009).
BBC, 31 March
2009
A man from Hevingham,
Norfolk, has admitted possessing a loaded shotgun
with intent to cause fear. Robert Seldon pointed the gun at his
ex-wife while she lay in bed. He has been jailed for three years.
Barking & Dagenham
Recorder,
31 March
2009
A man who was sprung from a
prison van in Barking, east London, in April 2008 (see
May 2008 Incidents) and then went on
to commit a series of robberies at gunpoint across the south of England
has been jailed for 16 years. Tony Turner admitted conspiracy to rob
and conspiracy to possess firearms and escaping from lawful custody with
criminal intent. During his release from the van two men held
pistols to a guard's head. Joe Turner and Dion Williams have been
given sentences of four and ten years, respectively, for assisting his
escape and, in Williams' case, taking in part in a robbery and possessing
a firearm with criminal intent.
This is Staffordshire,
30 March
2009
An 8-year-old boy was shot in
the head with an air rifle while
riding his mini-motorbike in a field behind his father's house in Crewe,
Cheshire. The boy was taken to hospital where he received stitches
to his forehead. A pellet had lodged in his helmet, which, his father
believes, saved his son's life.
The Packet,
30 March
2009
A man arrested in the centre
of Falmouth, Cornwall, was carrying an 'extremely realistic'
BB gun. The man was hit in the
arm with a rubber bullet fired by police before he dropped the gun.
He has been charged with possessing an imitation firearm (BBC, 31
March 2009).
Hereford Times,
30 March
2009
A
paintball rifle, an imitation of a Second World War assault
rifle, was among items stolen from a car in Hereford.
Bucks Free Press,
30 March
2009
Two men have been arrested
after police raids in Chesham, Buckinghamshire in which drugs were
recovered at one address and a stun gun
was found at another. One of the men was arrested on suspicion of
possessing a section 5 firearm.
BBC, 30 March
2009
A number of
imitation firearms have been seized in
Plymouth during searches of several premises ahead of the G20 summit.
An imitation Kalashnikov rifle was seized by police and three men and two
women have been held under the Terrorism Act.
BBC, 30 March
2009
Armed police surrounded a
house in Radford, Nottingham, after three men tried to rob a shop.
They had threatened staff with a gun. Two men have been arrested on
suspicion of burglary.
BBC, 30 March
2009
A shot was fired through a
window of a pub in Anstey, Leicestershire. A
shotgun cartridge was recovered from the
pub. Eight days earlier a brick had been thrown through a window.
BBC, 30 March
2009 *
A man was killed and another
was in a critical condition after a shooting in Eccleshill,
Bradford. Police are hunting a third man. The shooting was
thought to have been part of a domestic dispute. The man who was
critically injured has now left hospital and is recovering well (BBC,
17 April 2009). A man is on trail facing charges of murder and
attempted murder and two of of having a firearm with intent to commit
murder. It is alleged that the shotgun
attack followed a row over benefits paid to the surviving victim's mother
(BBC, 1 March 2010).
BBC, 29 March
2009
A man is in a serious
condition in hospital after being shot in the stomach in an incident in
Fazakerley, Liverpool. The shooting followed an altercation
between the victim and another man. He was shot with a
pellet gun and has been discharged from
hospital (BBC, 30 March 2009).
Northampton Chronicle
& Echo,
28 March 2009
A post office in Greatworth,
Northamptonshire, was targeted by two men brandishing a handgun and a crow
bar. They threatened the postmaster before making off with a small
amount of cash from the till. Two men have been arrested on
suspicion of robbery (BBC, 1 April 2009).
BBC, 28 March
2009
A police officer fired shots
at the getaway car of a gang who robbed a building society and a bank in
Droylsden, Greater Manchester. One of the gang had pointed a
shotgun at the police officer.
The car was later found abandoned. A large amount of cash had been
stolen.
Kent Online,
27 March 2009
A woman was taken to hospital
after being injured in an incident involving an
air rifle in Sheerness, Kent. The shooting
happened close to a primary school and the victim is believed to be an
employee.
Evening Courier,
27 March 2009
Homes were shot at in
Boothtown and Claremount in Halifax, West Yorkshire, with what
is thought to have been an air rifle.
Buxton Advertiser,
27 March 2009
A man who attempted to rob a
bookmakers in Netherfield, Nottinghamshire, and threatened a
cashier with a handgun fled after a customer gave chase. The robber
dropped his bag which was full of stolen cash.
BBC,
27 March 2009
Police have seized almost
£30,000 of drugs and a stun gun during
a search of a house in Hartlepool, Teesside. Two men and a
woman were arrested.
BBC,
27 March 2009
Sheriff Oki of Walthamstow,
east London, one of gang of men who have pleaded guilty to counterfeiting
offences, had recently been sentenced to eight years in prison for
possession of a gun and ammunition.
BBC,
27 March 2009
A shop assistant was
threatened by two masked men with an unseen weapon that was possibly a gun
during a robbery at an off licence in Coleshill, Warwickshire.
The men stole cigarettes and money.
Worksop Guardian,
26 March 2009
A man has admitted firing a
sawn-off double barrelled shotgun but
denies the attempted murder of a man in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
He admits having a firearm with intent to cause two men, one a police
officer, to think that unlawful violence would be used against them.
The trial continues.
West Yorkshire
Guardian,
26 March 2009
Police recovered a significant
amount of Class A drugs and ammunition from a house in Fartown,
Huddersfield. A man has been arrested.
Watford Observer,
26 March 2009
A man has been shot at with an
air rifle as walked along a street in the centre of Watford,
Hertfordshire. He was targeted by a man in a neighbouring flat, and
then verbally abused and threatened as he ran away.
Maghull & Aintree Star,
26 March 2009
Two men armed with a knife and
a shotgun burst into an off licence in
Maghull, Merseyside, and stole cash after threatening a member of
staff. It is believed £400 was taken from the till.
Halesowen News,
26 March 2009
Mark Ashcroft armed himself
with a stun gun during a dispute with
neighbours in Rowley Regis, West Midlands. He maintained the
stun gun was not being carried to cause injury but simply there to
threaten. He admitted possessing a prohibited weapon with intent to
cause fear of violence and was given a 12 month jail sentence suspended
for two years. He was further placed under supervision for two years
and ordered to pay £2300 towards the prosecution costs.
BBC,
26 March 2009
A man was in a stable
condition in hospital after being shot in Stoke, Coventry.
His injuries are not thought to be life threatening. Four people,
three men and a 15-year-old boy, were arrested and released on bail (BBC,
27 March 2009).
BBC,
26 March 2009
Staff at a bookmakers in
Watford, Hertfordshire, were threatened by two men with a handgun.
The robbers escaped with money.
BBC,
26 March 2009
A 13-year-old girl is
recovering after being shot in the neck with an
airgun pellet. The attack occurred as she was talking to
friends in Anfield, Liverpool. She had surgery to remove the
pellet from her neck.
BBC,
26 March 2009
A man was hit on the head with
a pistol and his partner slashed with a pistol by three men who forced
their way into the couple's house in Botley, Oxfordshire. The
men demanded cash before leaving empty handed.
This is Wiltshire,
25 March 2009
A stun gun was found at a home
in Pinehurst, Swindon, when it was raided by two police officers.
The gun was purchased from an internet site and is thought to have been
sent from the US. A man was arrested.
The Star,
25 March 2009 *
A woman is fighting for her
life with gunshot wounds while her partner has appeared in court charged
with her attempted murder. She was allegedly shot at their bungalow
in Thorne, South Yorkshire. The victim died in hospital six
days after the incident (The Star, 27 March 2009). A man is
on trail accused of killing the victim (see
September 2009 Incidents).
Herald Series,
25 March 2009
A man was found dead with a
shotgun wound to his head in woodland
around a mile from his home in Gainfield, Oxfordshire. He was
known as a local landowner. Police are treating the death as
unexplained but it is not believed to be suspicious.
BBC,
25 March 2009
Seven people have been
arrested and a handgun found in a series of drugs raids in Greater
Manchester. A man and a woman were arrested on suspicions of
possession of a firearm.
BBC,
25 March 2009
A man has been shot in the leg
in Stockbridge Village, Merseyside. He was taken to hospital
where he was treated for his injuries. His condition was not life
threatening.
This is Plymouth,
24 March 2009
A man from Plymouth has
been accused of a number of offences including false imprisonment,
possession of firearms and dealing drugs. The firearms were a
prohibited stun gun, a double-barrelled over-and-under
shotgun without a certificate and a
prohibited short-barrelled handgun. He has been charged with
possession of a handgun with intent to cause fear to a woman, possessing a
firearm while prohibited having been jailed for 5 years and possessing 9mm
rounds without a firearms certificate. He will face trial in
September.
St Helens Star,
24 March 2009
A woman sparked a major police
alert when she made threats to staff at a secure mental health unit in
Rainhill, Merseyside, while armed with two guns. The woman, who
was a former patient, was carrying ball bearing
guns. She has been detained under the Mental Health Act.
Hartlepool Mail,
24 March 2009 *
A £5000 reward has been
offered to catch a gang responsible for raids on three post offices in
County Durham. The gang was armed with a
shotgun during robberies which took place in Wingate and
Trimdon Station, during December 2008 (see
Incidents) and Elwick Village in
January 2009 (see Incidents).
Two men are now being questioned over the robberies (BBC, 7 April
2009). Three further arrests have been made (BBC, 8 April
2009). Three men have been jailed, one of whom took part in the
robberies (see December 2009
Incidents).
Herald Express,
24 March 2009
A sniper with an
air rifle took a pot shot at a bus while
it was being driver through South Brent, Devon, damaging one of the
windows. No one was hurt but £150 damage was caused.
Burnley Express,
24 March 2009
Three men have failed in
their appeal against the refusal of the Chief Constable of Lancashire to
renew or grant them shotgun
certificates. Jack Clarkson, Derek Kokocinski and Peter Smith had
been cleared of charges in relation to an allegedly prohibited firearm
after a boy was hurt when a home-made booby trap exploded in his hand in
Burnley, Lancashire, in April 2006 (see
Incidents) but the Chief Constable
subsequently banned them from having firearms.
BBC,
24 March 2009
A man who has been charged
with murder after a man was stabbed to death in Greenwich, south
east London, will also face firearms charges.
BBC,
24 March 2009
A man who threatened a cashier
with a small handgun at the post office in Guide, Lancashire, made
his getaway on a bicycle. No money was handed over.
Runcorn & Widnes World,
23 March 2009
An armed robber held shop
assistants at gunpoint in two incidents in Widnes, Cheshire.
The robberies took place at a shop and a betting shop, and police believe
they are connected. The man was armed with a handgun and during the
first robbery was with an accomplice who stayed at the door. Two
other men were involved in the second attack.
Lancashire Evening
Post,
23 March 2009
A man who kept a vast arsenal
of military memorabilia has escaped a jail sentence after pleading guilty
to stockpiling 614 bullets, 1169 cartridges and an empty grenade canister
at his home in Chorley, Lancashire. Former gun club member
James Waddington pleaded guilty to illegal possession of ammunition,
missiles and firearms without a certificate as well as possession of
articles with a blade. He claimed to have made a genuine mistake and had
always "conformed with the law. I'm a law-abiding citizen". He
had received a caution in 2007 after an illegal pistol component was
intercepted in the post. He was given a 24-week suspended prison
sentence with supervision from the probation service.
Islington Gazette,
23 March 2009 *
A father was shot dead and his
son critically injured in a drive-by shooting in Holloway, north
London. They were shot by men on a motorcycle who pulled up outside
a shop where one of the victims worked. A £20,000 reward has been
offered for information leading to the identification, arrest and
prosecution of the killers (Islington Gazette, 24 September 2009).
Evening Gazette,
23 March 2009
A man has denied a firearm
offence after he was arrested by armed police on a street in
Middlesbrough. He pleaded not guilty to possession of a firearm,
an air pistol, with intent to cause
fear of violence. The incident apparently involved a dispute over a
taxi fare.
BBC,
22 March 2009
A man was in hospital with
shotgun injuries to both legs after an
incident in a street in Brockley, south London. A 20-year-old
man has been arrested and bailed by police.
Sky News,
21 March 2009
A teenage boy has been shot
dead with an air rifle in an incident
at an address in Hayes, west London. It appeared that the
weapon went off "by mistake" during target practice. No arrests have
been made. The boy was aged 15 and was playing with his older
brother and his brother's friend at the family home (Daily Mail, 22
March 2009).
This is Croydon Today,
20 March 2009
A primary school pupil has
been suspended after bringing a ball bearing gun
to school and causing panic by waving it at girls in the playground.
The incident occurred at a school in South Croydon, south London.
Rochdale Observer,
20 March 2009
A Brocock ME38
airgun, a type of weapon which has been
prohibited since 2004 and can be converted to fire live bullets, was
discovered by police after they searched a stolen car in Whitworth,
Lancashire. The officers also found an amount of cannabis. One
man has been charged with handling stolen goods, possession of a
prohibited weapon and possession of cannabis. A second man, who has
been wanted for prison recall, has been returned to jail.
BBC,
20 March 2009
A man from Belfast has been
jailed for three and a half years for trying to smuggle
stun guns and tranquilisers into the
United Kingdom. Kieran Breslin was arrested at Heathrow Airport
in November 2007 after arriving from Bangkok.
BBC,
20 March 2009 *
A man was in hospital after
being shot in the chest in Bradford. Police said the shooting
was an isolated incident. The victim has been released from hospital
and two men have been bailed in connection with the incident (Telegraph
& Argus, 26 March 2009). The police have released a
photograph of a man they wish to speak to about the shooting (BBC,
2 June 2009).
BBC,
20 March 2009
Police have arrested a man in
connection with two separate fatal shootings south London, in
Bermondsey in October 2008 (see
Incidents) and East Dulwich in
February 2009 (see Incidents).
The man was arrested in Peckham by detectives from Operation
Trident.
BBC,
20 March 2009
A man has been arrested on
suspicion of possession of a firearm after a group of youths was allegedly
threatened in Alcester, Warwickshire. An
air weapon was recovered. The
suspect has been released on bail.
BBC,
20 March 2009
An elderly man was shot in the
face with a BB gun by a group of
primary school age children in Easingwold, North Yorkshire.
The pellet narrowly missed the victim's eye. The children laughed
after the attack. The manager of a local newsagents which was
selling BB guns says she will stop doing so.
Wokingham Times,
19 March 2009
An estate in Wokingham,
Berkshire, has been plagued with shooting with BB
guns, drug abuse, vandalism and graffiti. The local
authority has outlined plans for walkabouts and inspections of homes at
the estate.
The Gazette
(Blackpool),
19 March 2009
A man who threatened another
man with a .22 air pistol during a
domestic dispute in Staining, Lancashire, in August 2008 has been
jailed for 21 months. Brian Hindle had been drinking when he decided
to visit his former partner's children who were staying at a neighbour's
house. After having the door slammed in his face he returned with
the gun and pointed it at the homeowner. He gave himself up after
armed police surrounded his house. The judge said that "Only a
custodial sentence can be justified. It was a real weapon - a .22
air pistol - capable of being lethal".
Birmingham Mail,
19 March 2009
A BB
gun was discovered in the grounds of a school in Alcester,
Warwickshire. The weapon, which was not fired, was allegedly used by
two girls to threaten two female pupils after a fight. The two girls
have been expelled.
Wirral Globe,
18 March 2009
A man who aimed a replica gun
at police hoping they would shoot him has been jailed for 20 months.
Glen Walton was upset at the death of his partner and aimed the
ball bearing gun at an officer from his
home in Birkenhead. Police found a replica assault rifle an
ornamental rifle and some plastic ammunition at the house. Walton
admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of
violence.
The Citizen
(Burnley),
18 March 2009
There has been a series of
airgun shootings in Trawden,
Lancashire, since the beginning of the year. In the latest incidents
windows at a pub and a home have been broken.
Southern Daily Echo,
17 March 2009
Passengers were forced to dive
for cover when a bus they were travelling on in Marchwood,
Hampshire, was targeted, probably with an airgun,
in a drive-by shooting. The shot shattered a window.
Oxford Mail,
17 March 2009
Leigh Cooper used a
fake firearm and a knife to threaten victims during a spate of
five robberies in Headington, Oxford, during an 11-day period in
December 2008 and January 2009. He threatened two members of staff
with the handle of a kitchen grill taped to a tripod to make it look like
a gun. The offences were fuelled by heroin addiction. He
admitted five charges of robbery and one of possessing an imitation
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He has been jailed
for six-and-a-half years.
Liverpool Echo,
17 March 2009
Terence Gornall has been
jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to possessing drugs with intent
to supply and possessing an Uzi sub-machine gun and ammunition. The
gun was found under his mattress at his home in Knotty Ash,
Merseyside, in November 2008.
Hounslow Chronicle,
17 March 2009
A man has been charged after
police discovered a stun gun, along with drugs and cash at a flat in
Hounslow, west London. The charges include possession of an
illegal weapon.
BBC,
17 March 2009
A drug dealer has been told he
will have to pay back more than £90,000 when he is released from prison.
James Stubbs was jailed for six years in November 2008 after cocaine was
found in his car and a 9mm handgun with the firing pin removed was found
at his home in Easington Lane, Sunderland.
BBC,
17 March 2009
Two men armed with a handgun
have robbed a post office in Melsonby, North Yorkshire. The
men escaped with cash and stamps after threatening a member of staff.
BBC,
17 March 2009
A teenager has been arrested
on suspicion of carrying a replica gun
following on incident on a bus between Canterbury and Whitstable
in Kent. The boy has been released on bail.
BBC,
17 March 2009
Two robbers who claimed to
have a gun escaped with more than £10,000 from a business premises in
Harlow, Essex. No weapon was actually seen during the robbery.
This is the West
Country,
16 March 2009
Over 30 windows at a primary
school in Trannack, Cornwall, have been smashed. Small holes
were clearly visible in the windows and airgun pellets littered the
floors. Police suspect an
air rifle
was used to cause the damage which is estimated to cost the school over
£1500.
Telegraph & Argus,
16 March 2009
A masked man fired several
shots into a taxi office in Buttershaw, West Yorkshire. The
man and his driver made off by car. The motive is not known.
Shropshire Star,
16 March 2009 *
A robber armed with a handgun
forced a young woman assistant to hand over cash during a raid at a petrol
station in Newport, Shropshire. A man has admitted robbing his
victim of £140 and being in possession of an
imitation firearm (see
August Incidents).
St Albans & Harpenden
Review,
16 March 2009
Adil Mumtaz, 18, has pleaded
guilty to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm. He was the
car driver during a robbery outside a restaurant in Harpenden,
Hertfordshire, when two men, armed with a replica
handgun, robbed a man of £4000. Mumtaz has been given a
three year custodial sentence (Herts Advertiser, 1 May 2009).
Oxford Mail,
16 March 2009
A pensioner has been found
dead in the back garden of his house in Didcot, Oxfordshire, with a
shotgun wound to the head. The
death is not being treated as suspicious.
Lancashire Evening
Post,
16 March 2009 *
Members of a gang have been
jailed following a shooting in a street in Preston, Lancashire, in
January 2008 (see Incidents)
in which two men were injured. One of the victims lost the sight in
one eye and the other was hit by 30 pellets. John Newsham, who
pulled the trigger, was given an indeterminate sentence for public
protection and will serve a minimum of three years eight months. He
admitted two charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
as well as possession of a shotgun
with intent to commit an offence. Lee Walsh, who admitted conspiracy
to pervert the course of justice regarding a false alibi and also to
buying guns was convicted of two charges of wounding with intent and
sentenced to a total of 11 years nine months. A teenager, Jason
Jackson, was convicted of being involved in the buying of a shotgun and a
separate offence of burglary and sent into youth custody for a total of
three years, two months. Three other men were convicted of various
offences and received custodial sentences. Walsh could be free after
a judge ruled his conviction may be "unsafe" (Lancashire Evening Post,
20 January 2010).
Grimsby Telegraph,
16 March 2009
After being hit by an egg
thrown from a passing car in August 2008, Frederick Bowyer went into his
home in Grimsby and collected an air rifle.
He believed the egg had been thrown by a group of youths who were standing
close to his house and deliberately pointed the rifle at people in the
vicinity. He admitted possessing a firearm to cause fear of unlawful
violence and was given a 12-month community order and must complete 80
hours of unpaid work.
BBC,
16 March 2009 *
Two men who threatened staff
with what police believe was a handgun robbed a garage kiosk in Market
Harborough, Leicestershire. Cash was stolen from the till and a
handbag was taken from a staff member. Two men have been arrested
and been released on police bail (Harborough Mail, 13 May 2009).
BBC,
16 March 2009
Police seized an
air pistol and a large amount of cash
when two cars were stopped in Torquay, Devon. Two men have
been arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
BBC,
16 March 2009
Ansell Douglas has been found
guilty of carrying out an armed robbery at a hotel in Brislington,
Bristol, when he and another man forced staff to hand over £20,000 in
November 2008 (see Incidents).
He was found guilty of robbery and having a handgun with intent to rob and
will be sentenced next month.
BBC,
15 March 2009
A bag full of 9mm bullets was
discovered by a member of the public in a street in the centre of
Manchester.
BBC,
15 March 2009
A man has been charged with
the murder of a man who died of a gunshot wound to the head at his house
in East Ham, east London, in October 2001. The man was traced
to Florida and was extradited and arrested when he arrived back in the UK.
BBC,
15 March 2009 *
An 18-year-old man has been
shot dead in Tottenham, north London. He was found with a
single gunshot wound to the chest. Three men are on trial in
connection with the murder (Haringey Independent, 2 December 2009).
BBC,
14 March 2009
A man was shot in the leg in
what police have said was a targeted attack in Huyton, Merseyside.
He was being treated in hospital, but his condition is not thought to be
life-threatening.
Staffordshire
Newsletter,
13 March 2009
A teenager was shot by a
ball bearing gun in a fast food
restaurant in Stafford. He was shot in the head after six
young men at a neighbouring table verbally abused his group.
Rochdale Online,
13 March 2009
A man has been charged with
possession of a prohibited firearm after a
shotgun was found in a car in Littleborough, Greater
Manchester.
BBC,
13 March 2009
Two men, one of whom was armed
with what was believed to be a small handgun, stole an undisclosed amount
of cash from a pub in North Shields, Tyneside.
BBC,
13 March 2009
Three men have been sentenced
for the part in an incident in which a man was shot in the leg in the
front garden of a house in Allenton, Derbyshire, in May 2008 (see
Incidents).
Jahvan Gibbons, 20, was found guilty of three charges, possessing a
firearm with intent to endanger life, wounding with intent to cause
grievous bodily harm and possession of a firearm when prohibited and was
sentenced to 20 years. Carlos Grant was found guilty of possessing a
firearm with intent to endanger life and assisting an offender and will
not be considered for release until he has served at least nine years and
95 days, and Caleb Alexander was sentenced to six years after being found
guilty of assisting an offender.
Telegraph,
12 March 2009
A clay pigeon shooter has
described how security at Bristol Airport failed to detect live
shotgun cartridges he was carrying by
mistake in his coat. The teenager only discovered the cartridges on
arrival in Inverness.
The Press,
12 March 2009
Aaron Barlow from York,
who has just been jailed for mugging a 16-year-old, had previously bullied
two other younger boys. In one incident, which occurred when he was
aged 17, he had fired a ball-bearing gun
in front of a 10-year-old boy.
Ham & High,
12 March 2009
A man and a woman were robbed
at gunpoint whilst walking through a car park on Haverstock Hill,
north London. The robber pulled out a black handled handgun and
demanded the man hand over his wallet.
Daily Mail,
12 March 2009 *
A 13-year-old boy has been
arrested after fellow schoolchildren in Leamington Spa,
Warwickshire, were attacked with a stun gun. Witnesses say he
chased other pupils and three children were rendered helpless to the
ground. The weapon was apparently bought during a trip to Bulgaria
with his father. The weapon is illegal in the UK. The boy has
been given a final warning by the police (The Courier, 7 April
2009).
Crawley Observer,
12 March 2009
A mother fought and disarmed a
teenager brandishing two pistols after the boy threatened to shoot her
son. The incident took place in Broadfield, Crawley in West
Sussex.
Bury Times,
12 March 2009
Arms dealer Roger Rivers has
been jailed for 15 years after he was found guilty of a string of firearm
and drug offences. Police found drugs equipment needed to produce
class A drugs on a large scale, drugs, a pistol and almost 200 bullets at
his girlfriend's flat in Salford. A month earlier police had
found two Baikal pistols, silencers and magazines loaded with ammunition
in a bag which a "customer", Sharitta Warren, had collected from Rivers
outside Manchester Piccadilly station.
BBC,
12 March 2009
A school in Clifton,
Bedfordshire, was evacuated after a teenager told a pupil that he would
shoot him. The teenager was arrested and has since been bailed.
BBC,
12 March 2009
A man was shot with a baton
round by police as he walked through the centre of Loughborough,
Leicestershire, wielding a gun. He was arrested and taken to
hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. A gun was found at
the scene and is being examined. The man, who was armed with an air
rifle, has been jailed for three years after admitting possessing a
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence (see
July 2009 Incidents).
Oldham Advertiser,
11 March 2009
A man is recovering in
hospital after he was shot in the buttocks in Glodwick, Greater
Manchester. It is understood that the victim had just got out of a
car when the gunman climbed out of another car and opened fire. The
victim's injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
Kent News,
11 March 2009
A man has been acquitted of
the murder of a man whom he shot as the victim tried to break into his
home in Chilham, Kent, in November 2007 (see
Incidents). The intruder died after being shot with a
shotgun. The judge said that this
was "an unusual case which shouldn't set a precedent for others".
Grantham Journal,
11 March 2009
A PCSO was shot in the back by
an air rifle while on duty in the
centre of Grantham, Lincolnshire. The victim was protected
from injury by the 'stab vest' he was wearing. The shot was fired
from a first floor window. A man has been arrested on suspicion of
using a firearm with the intent to endanger life. He has been
charged with common assault and firing an air weapon beyond a premises (Grantham
Journal, 12 March 2009).
Bexley Times,
11 March 2009
Lawrence Kelsey from New
Eltham, south east London, has been jailed for seven years after a police
raid revealed a stash of weapons at his home including a loaded
shotgun, replica
guns and a stun gun.
Telegraph,
10 March 2009
In August 2008 David
Constantine admitted putting his neighbours, a man and his wife, in fear
of violence. He had subjected them to a catalogue of violence
including threats to kill and firing an airgun
while they were having a barbecue in their garden in Lanchester,
County Durham. A judge gave him six months to sell his house or face
prison. A ban on his visiting the property has now been lifted as he
has been unable to sell the house. He has been given a six month
suspended jail sentence with the provision that he does not cause nuisance
to his neighbours or communicate with them.
Lancashire Evening
Post,
10 March 2009 *
A lorry driver was hijacked
and forced to drive hundreds of miles with a stun gun pointed at him.
The robbers pulled in front of his cab on the M6 at Fulwood,
Preston, and abducted him. He was forced to drive to Walsall where
his trailer was unhooked. He then had to drive to Gloucestershire
where he was tied up and left in his cab. Five people have been
arrested and charged (Express & Star, 11 August 2009).
Express & Star,
10 March 2009
An Uzi machine gun and
ammunition have been discovered hidden under a hut at a property in
Merridale, Wolverhampton. The house owner had no idea that the
weapon was being concealed at his property. The police found it
after acting on information.
Express & Star,
10 March 2009
Leon Boothe and a 17-year-old
girl have admitted possession of a shotgun
and possession of cocaine with intent to supply. The shotgun was at a flat in Wolverhampton where Boothe was found outside and the
girl inside. He was jailed for nine years and the girl was given a
custodial sentence of four-and-a-half years.
Road Transport,
9 March 2009
A lorry driver was stunned
with a Taser gun and dumped by the side of the road as his truck and load
were stolen from outside an industrial estate in Saltley,
Birmingham.
Harlow Herald,
9 March 2009
Two men have both been charged
with one count of robbery, one count of possession of a firearm, one count
of possessing a firearm with intent to commit robbery and various counts
of illegally transferring property contrary to the proceeds of crime act
2002. The charges follow an armed robbery outside a supermarket in
Harlow, Essex, in February 2008 in which two men armed with a
shotgun stole a five figure sum of cash
from a security van.
Daily Echo,
9 March 2009
A shop assistant was
threatened with a handgun during an armed robbery at a newsagents in
Poole, Dorset. Only a small amount of money was taken. A
man has been arrested and released on police bail while enquiries
continue.
BBC,
9 March 2009
Four teenagers and a man were
arrested after a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and a
shotgun was
fired at a private party in Oxfordshire. Police recovered
what was believed to be a firearm after a search of the area.
BBC,
9 March 2009
A man is in hospital following
reports of gun shots in a street in Finsbury Park, north London.
Officers found evidence at the scene that a firearm had been discharged.
The man's condition is not life-threatening.
This is Local London,
8 March 2009
Four youths robbed an off
licence in Bromley, south London, at gunpoint. One of them
pointed a handgun at the shop assistant who gave them money from the till
and the safe. They fled with around £700 cash, £200 worth of
cigarettes and around £200 worth of drink.
BBC,
8 March 2009
A man was shot several times
in the leg as he was getting out of his car in Luton, Bedfordshire.
The shots were fired from another car which had pulled up. He is in
a stable, but not serious condition in hospital.
BBC,
8 March 2009
A service station cashier has
been threatened at gunpoint by robbers in Manton, Nottinghamshire.
The men escaped with the till and its contents. Armed response
officers later recovered a firearm.
BBC,
7 March 2009
A shop assistant was
threatened with a handgun during a second armed robbery at the premises in
Wolverhampton in a week. Two men took cash from the till.
Five days earlier a shopkeeper had tackled two men who threatened him with
a firearm and they left empty-handed.
BBC,
7 March 2009 *
An 8-year-old boy is
critically ill after suffering shotgun
wounds to his abdomen and arm. He was injured during a shooting at a
travellers' site in Gateshead, Tyneside. A 10-year-old boy
has been arrested and remains in custody. Police are still hunting
for the weapon responsible for the boy's injuries (BBC, 23 March
2009). No criminal charges have been preferred. It appears
that the youngsters stumbled across the weapon before mistakenly firing it
(BBC, 11 June 2009).
The Citizen
(Preston),
6 March 2009
Passers-by were shot at with
an air rifle
in Longridge, Lancashire. Two women suffered minor injuries
after they were hit whilst walking. Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17,
have been arrested in one of the flats from which the shots were fired.
Birmingham Mail,
6 March 2009
A man has been shot a number
of times with what was believed to be a pistol as he was walking towards
the front door of his home in Small Heath, Birmingham. The victim is
in a critical but stable condition. It is thought that the shooting
was specifically targeted.
Wandsworth Guardian,
5 March 2009
Police found a loaded gun
stuffed into a sock after they had chased two men in Battersea,
south London. A man has been charged with possession of a prohibited
weapon, ammunition and an offensive weapon. Two other people were
arrested but were later released on police bail
This is Local London,
5 March 2009
Police have released an e-fit
image of a man they want to speak to in connection with an armed robbery
in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, which left a security guard
pistol whipped outside a store. Two masked raiders stole a cash box
during the raid in February 2008.
Surrey Herald,
5 March 2009
A woman from Cobham,
Surrey, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, has spoken about how she has
been terrorised by gangs of youths for 15 years. She has now been
shot at by an air rifle. She has
lodged a formal complaint against the police claiming the force's response
to antisocial behaviour in the area is inadequate.
The Press,
5 March 2009
A teenager fired a
ball-bearing gun in the grounds of his
school in York injuring another pupil. The 12-year-old victim
did not suffer any serious or visible injuries. The gun, an
orange-coloured rifle, has been seized by police.
BBC,
5 March 2009
Three men are in custody
following an armed robbery at a jewellers in York during which a
man carrying a gun threatened staff.
BBC,
5 March 2009 *
A man has been shot dead in a
cafe in Mottingham, south east London. A man was arrested at
the scene and a firearm was subsequently recovered. He has
pleaded guilty to murder and possession of a firearm with intent to
endanger life (see September
2009 Incidents).
This is Kent,
4 March 2009
Firefighters were called to
recover three stolen shotguns worth
£6,000 from the River Stour in Chartham, Kent. They were
stolen during a burglary at Boughton Lees, near Ashford, in
February.
Hucknall Dispatch,
4 March 2009
Two men armed with a gun and a
knife burst into a pub in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, and after
threatening staff they fled with about £2,000 in cash. The raid took
place in February 2009. A bullet was later found on the floor of the
pub.
Evening Star,
4 March 2009
Alan Loveridge, who was part
of a gang that terrorised shopkeepers in Suffolk, has been jailed for
eight years. The gang raided premises in Newmarket, where
they left empty handed despite staff being threatened with a
shotgun, and Barrow where a gun
was pointed at a man and the gang escaped with £2,200. The raids
took place in November 2006.
The Citizen
(Blackburn),
4 March 2009
Thousands of pounds worth of
damage has been caused to historic windows at a church in Darwen,
Lancashire. Several air rifle
pellets have been retrieved from the church.
BBC,
4 March 2009
A man was shot in Bushbury,
West Midlands. A man has been charged with attempted murder and
firearms offences.
BBC,
4 March 2009
Masked men threatened staff at
a betting shop in Aldershot, Hampshire, with a firearm before
stealing almost £1,000.
Southport Visiter,
3 March 2009
A family were trapped inside a
house in Birkdale, Lancashire, when a gunman opened fire.
Reports suggest that the suspect fired seven times. At least one
bullet is said to have pierced a front window.
The Sentinel,
3 March 2009
A teenager has appeared in
court following an alleged gun incident in Middleport,
Staffordshire. He has been charged with possession of an imitation
firearm with intent to cause three others to believe that unlawful
violence would be used. The incident is alleged to have involved a
gas-powered BB gun. He faces
further charges and was remanded in custody.
Liverpool Daily Post,
3 March 2009
Shots were fired at a house in
Huyton, Merseyside. No-one was injured.
Eastbourne Today,
3 March 2009
Airgun pellets have been fired at a house in Pevensey Bay,
East Sussex, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage. The owners
were out at the time.
Bolton News,
3 March 2009
A taxi driver was robbed at
gunpoint by four men he drove to a street in Bolton, Greater
Manchester. The men returned to the car threatened their victim and
told him to hand over all of his belongings.
Southport Visiter,
2 March 2009
A man armed with a square
barrelled handgun demanded cash from a post office in Birkdale,
Lancashire. He ran out empty handed after his demands were refused.
Echo,
2 March 2009
Gary Mills was stopped by
police in Walthamstow, north London, in 2007 in possession of a
gun. He fled to Spain but was extradited and has now admitted
a string of offences including possessing a prohibited firearm and
possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He also
admitted the attempted robbery of a family outside their home in
Sunningdale, Berkshire, in 1998, to which he was linked by DNA on a
baseball cap left at the scene. He was jailed for a total of 15
years.
Daily Mail,
2 March 2009
The Armed Forces have
lost track of more than 165 pistols, rifles and machine guns and 27,000
bullets in the last three years, some of which could have been stolen.
Between 2000 and 2007 109 guns were lost or stolen from military barracks,
only 35 of which have been recovered. The weapons taken include 30
antique rifles taken from the walls of officers' messes.
Chester Chronicle,
2 March 2009 *
An armed robber threatened a
female post office worker in Helsby, Cheshire, with a black handgun
and made off with cash. Police are not ruling out a link with an
armed robbery on a bookmakers in nearby Frodsham in February when a
female member of staff was also threatened by a man with a handgun who
stole cash. The police have now said that the man believed to be
responsible for the Frodsham robbery committed a second robbery on a
bookmakers in Hoole, Chester, a week later. The suspect is an
escaped armed raider who escaped from court in December. He has
since been caught and has now been charged with 14 new offences (Daily
Post, 10 March 2009). A man has admitted 15 charges and will be
sentenced in July 2009 (see
June 2009 Incidents).
BBC,
2 March 2009 *
Two robbers armed with a
shotgun and a metal pole have stolen cash from a video store in
Maidenhead, Berkshire. Police are linking it to a similar robbery in
Slough in February 2009 (see
Incidents). Three men have pleaded guilty of robbery and
possession of an imitation firearm and
have been jailed for a total of 18 years and nine months (see
February 2010 Incidents).
BBC,
2 March 2009 *
A man was arrested after
another man was threatened with a gun in a pub in Christchurch,
Dorset. The man was arrested at a nearby property. He has
admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of
violence and has been jailed for two and a half years (see
April 2009 Incidents).
The Sentinel,
1 March 2009
Armed police swooped on a
house in Burslem, Staffordshire, after a man was seen brandishing a
gun in the street. The police said they had received a report that a
gun had been fired and two people had been injured but neither had
required hospital treatment. A man was arrested and a handgun
recovered.
BBC,
1 March 2009
A car thief threatened to
shoot a police officer during a chase in Greater Manchester.
Officers were following a stolen car when it was abandoned and the thief
ran off along a railway track. He produced a handgun and asked an
officer if he wanted shooting. He escaped towards Ardwick
railway station.
SCOTLAND
Perthshire Advertiser,
31 March
2009
A man from Stanley,
Perthshire, has appeared in court has denied having a firearm in his
possession with intent to cause another man to believe that unlawful
violence would be used against him. A second charge alleges that he
stole a gat gun from a farm in Stanley
on the same day.
BBC,
31 March
2009 *
Allan Dickson repeatedly fired
an air pistol to "frighten" a group of
men who attacked him as he was walking home in Edinburgh in July
2008. He
went into his home and was seen later standing in his garden firing the
gas-powered gun. He handed the gun to a friend and it was recovered
from her home. He has pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace and
possessing a firearm in a public place. He has been fined £1000 (Evening
News (Edinburgh), 12 May 2009). He was later struck off from the
teaching register by a panel of the General Teaching Council for Scotland
(GTCS) (BBC, 26 January 2010).
Evening News,
28 March 2009 *
Sean McGovern has pleaded
guilty to blasting a shotgun at a pub
in Broomhouse, Edinburgh. Two shots were fired as a warning
to a rival drug dealer who was drinking there. The shooting occurred
in September 2008 (see
Incidents). Terry Scott who drove McGovern to the pub
admitted a charge of repeatedly discharging a loaded shotgun to the danger
of the public on the basis he was acting in concert. McGovern also
admitted drugs charges. McGovern has been jailed for 10 years for
drug dealing and a further six years and nine months for the shooting.
Scott was jailed for five years and seven months (Evening News, 27
April 2009).
Daily Record,
28 March 2009
Christopher Slowey, 18,
pointed a ball bearing pistol at a
shopkeeper in Baillieston, Glasgow, and pulled the trigger.
He was chased empty-handed from the shop. Slowey admitted attempted
robbery and being on bail at the time of the raid in November 2008.
He was given a four year sentence.
Dumfries & Galloway
Standard,
25 March 2009
A 20-year-old who claimed he
bought a stun gun found at a house in
Annan, Dumfriesshire, as a novelty in Blackpool and had no
intention of using it. Kyle Hall admitted having a prohibited weapon
at his home without the authority of the Secretary of State. He also
pleased guilty to drug charges.
BBC,
23 March 2009 *
Robert Brown admitted pointing
a BB gun at a woman's head in a
dispute over a Playstation game. The incident took place at a house
in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, in November 2008. He
admitted uttering threats of violence, holding the gun to his victim's
head and having a BB gun in his possession. Brown, who has already
served jail terms for weapons offences, has been jailed for four years and
one month (BBC, 20 April 2009).
Sunday Mail,
22 March 2009
Patrick Trueman terrified
three boys in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, by following them with an
air rifle. He has been fined £600.
Daily Record,
18 March 2009
A man was shot a number of
times in the side when he pulled into a cul-de-sac in Springburn,
Glasgow. He was had been chased through the city's west end.
It has been suggested that the shooting was a drugs-related gangland hit.
The victim was being treated in hospital.
BBC,
18 March 2009 *
A man has admitted firing a
paintball gun at a colleague in Ratho,
Edinburgh. Calvin Blyth was found guilty of culpably and recklessly
discharging a paintball gun. His victim has suffered long-term
damage to his eye after being shot. Blyth was a paintball marshal at
a paintball centre where the two men were cleaning and doing safety
checks. Blyth was given 150 hours community service (BBC, 30
April 2009).
BBC,
14 March 2009
A robber threatened a man with
a firearm at a house in Robroyston, Glasgow, before fleeing with
hundreds of pounds in cash.
BBC,
10 March 2009 *
A man who bought a
stun gun
during a holiday in Thailand was caught trying to bring it into Scotland
at Edinburgh Airport in September 2008. Gary Bell pleaded
guilty to charges under firearms legislation. He has been fined £600
and the sheriff has ordered the confiscation of the gun (BBC, 7
April 2009).
BBC,
10 March 2009
A man will be reported to the
procurator fiscal following what police described as a firearms incident
in Inverness. Armed police were dispatched to the scene
following a call from a concerned member of the public.
Sunday Mail,
8 March 2009 *
A man has been charged with
the armed abduction of a male manager and a female shop assistant, two
breaches of the peace and four contraventions of the Firearms Act. This
follows an incident in Grangemouth. A man has been jailed for
five years and three months following the incident which began at a shop
in Bo'ness, West Lothian (see
February 2010 Incidents).
BBC,
5 March 2009
In July 2008 Ahsan Shahid,
Farooq Mushtaq, and Omar Sadiq pursued two men in a car in the southside
of Glasgow and pointed a firearm or similar weapon at them and
tried to ram into their car. Six days later two of them carried out
a similar attack on two other men in the same area. They have been
convicted of carrying out the assaults. The three men have been
jailed for a total of 11-and-a-half years (BBC, 26 March 2009).
Ayrshire Post,
5 March 2009
A man who walked through an
industrial estate in Ayr with an air rifle
visible in August 2008 has been told by a sheriff that he could have
caused chaos. Mark Rogerson realised the seriousness of breaching
the regulation that required the weapon to be covered up. His
sentence was deferred for six months.
BBC,
3 March 2009
Two masked men threatened
security men with a gun outside a bank in Uddingston, Lanarkshire,
and escaped with hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash in a car driven
by a third suspect.
Hawick News,
2 March 2009
Jason Hook has admitted having
an unloaded air pistol without
reasonable excuse in Hawick in December 2008. He tried to put
the gun through a letterbox but it was pushed back to him. He has
had sentence deferred for six months.
WALES
Wales Online,
27 March 2009
A farmer has been found dead
with shotgun wounds to his chest.
He was discovered in a field on the Caerphilly border with
Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Daily Post,
21 March 2009 *
A customer was shot in the
neck by an armed robber at a supermarket in Old Colwyn,
Denbighshire. The weapon was a BB gun
and the customer was shot when he stood between the robber and
a shop assistant. Minutes earlier a mother had been punched in the
face and her son stabbed when two men armed with a gun and a knife had
burst into a nearby home. The
shooting victim suffered non-life threatening injuries and was later
discharged from hospital. Three men are on trial on a number of
charges, although two of them have admitted robbery and one has admitted a
charge of possession an imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery
(see May 2009 Incidents).
BBC,
18 March 2009
David Bowen fired a
shotgun at a group of teenagers outside
his house. He had previously complained of up to 20 youths throwing
stones and food at his home in Bridgend, but on the night he fired
the gun in December 2008 there had been no trouble. Some pellets hit
a 16-year-old boy. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with
intent and common assault and was jailed for 20 months.
BBC,
17 March 2009
A teenager who hid a handgun
for a "potentially murderous" gang has admitted possessing a firearm and
ammunition. The gun was found inside a sock in Thando Ngomgoma's
bedroom in Cardiff. He has been sentenced to five years in a
young offenders' institution.
South Wales Argus,
13 March 2009
A man has been arrested for
the unlawful possession of a firearm after armed police raided two
properties in Blaina, Abertillery.
Barry & District News,
12 March 2009
A street in the centre of
Barry was sealed off by armed police after gun shots were fired.
A man was arrested on suspicion of using an air
rifle.
Wales Online,
2 March 2009
Police are investigating
reports that a window of the BBC Wales studios in Cardiff was shot
with an airgun. A window in the
front reception was reported to have been shot and smashed.
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
Sunderland Echo,
31 March 2009
A pair of swans have been
found dead at a lake at Silksworth, Sunderland. A number of
airgun pellets were found at the side
of the water. Police have said, however, that until x-rays and a
post-mortem examination are carried out they cannot be sure swans were
killed maliciously.
Bristol Evening Post,
30 March 2009
A report on a spate of
incidents in which cats have been poisoned or shot describes how a kitten
in Withywood, Bristol, had to have its leg amputated after it was
believed to have been shot, shortly before two other cats in the area
disappeared. PDSA vets x-rayed the cat and found an
airgun pellet lodged in her elbow joint.
Lincolnshire Echo,
27 March 2009
A cat has suffered devastating
injuries after he was shot in the face with a
shotgun in Whisby, Lincolnshire. The cat has
already undergone two operations and will have to have a third to
reconstruct his face.
Salisbury Journal,
26 March 2009
A cat was shot twice with an
airgun in an apparently deliberate
attack in Salisbury. X-rays revealed pellets in her chest and
front right leg. The pellet in the leg was removed but it was too
dangerous to remove the one in her chest.
BBC, 26 March
2009
A sixth buzzard has been found
shot dead at a golf club in Aglionby, Cumbria. The carcasses
of the birds have been found at the club in the last three months.
Buzzards are a protected species.
Derby Evening
Telegraph,
23 March 2009
A cat shot with an
air rifle was in excruciating pain for days because a pellet
had left three abscesses around his stomach. The owner from
Stenson Fields, Derby, does not know if her insurance will cover the £1500
cost of the operation needed to save his life.
Wiltshire Times & Chippenham
News,
21 March 2009
A five-year-old boy witnessed
his greyhound being hit by an airgun pellet
as he and his mother walked their three dogs in Corsham, Wiltshire.
Two gunshots were heard and a man was seen to run off. The dog is
now recovering well.
Reading Evening Post,
20 March 2009
A cat had to have one of his
legs amputated after being shot in Tilehurst, Berkshire. A
vet confirmed he had been shot with an airgun.
The Sentinel,
18 March 2009
A cat was shot with an
air rifle in Cheadle,
Staffordshire. The pellet went through his ear and is lodged behind
an eye. He may lose sight in that eye.
Birmingham Mail,
17 March 2009
A male swan has been shot dead
and his mate was fighting for her life at a wildlife centre after they
were targeted on a canal in Wednesfield, West Midlands.
Another swan was attacked on the same canal recently and nine
airgun pellets were found in its body but
managed to survive (see January
2009 Incidents).
BBC,
13 March 2009
A female swan was found dead
at a pond in Godstone Green, Surrey. She had a hole in her
neck, and experts believe the injury was caused by a type of
air weapon. Her mate has been
permanently moved from the site.
Press & Journal,
11 March 2009
For the second time this year
a pet cat has been shot with an airgun
pellet in Macduff, Aberdeenshire. The cat was lucky to
survive after a pellet went through his hip and lodged near his groin.
Vets managed to remove the pellet safely.
The Comet,
11 March 2009
A cat has had to have a leg
amputated after being shot with an air weapon
near his home in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. He had returned
home limping, howling and crying with pain. An X-ray revealed a
pellet had shattered his hip, causing considerable damage to the remained
of his leg.
This is Staffordshire,
7 March 2009
A cat has been left with an
air rifle pellet lodged near its lung
after being shot in Meir, Staffordshire. She was "crying like
a baby" but there was no blood or obvious wound, but an X-ray showed the
pellet stuck in her chest.
