MARCH 2010

We prepare a monthly review 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 Review was written are marked (*).

 

ENGLAND

Sunderland Echo, 31 March 2010 *

John Elliott was arrested in Seaham, County Durham, after pointing what turned out to be a toy gun to his head in a fall out with his estranged wife.  He admitted having an imitation firearm in a public place and was given an 18 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs.

Manchester Evening News, 31 March 2010

Two teenagers have each been jailed after being found guilty of murdering a schoolboy who was shot dead outside a pub in Stretford, Greater Manchester, in May 2009 (see Incidents).  Hiruy Zerihun, 18, who fired the gun was sentenced to 23 year and Njabulo Ndlovu, 19, for 21 years.  The attack was bungled revenge for the murder of another teenager, a boyhood friend of Zerihun, who was shot dead in February 2008.  Zerihun was also found guilty of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence following an incident a week before the murder outside the same pub.  Shadrach Phipps, 19, was found guilty of possessing a prohibited firearm and possessing ammunition without a certificate and Michael Egerton admitted handling the murder weapon.  The car who drove the men to and from the murder scene in his taxi was cleared of murder and firearms offences.  The murder weapon, a 9mm Tokarev pistol, has been fired in Britain on at least three previous occasions, outside a London pub in 1998, at a group of men in Longsight, Manchester, in 2008 and three months before the murder at a group of youths, also in Longsight.  The pistol was found dumped in a garden in Gorton (Manchester Evening News, 1 April 2010).

London Daily News, 31 March 2010

Gary Waller ran a gun-conversion factory from his living room in South Norwood, south London.  He turned imitation and blank-firing handguns into lethal weapons.  He pleaded guilty to a string of firearms offences and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.  Other members of the gang were Darren Yaw Okupu who acted as a courier, Marvin Welch who stored the finished and partly finished firearms, Wesley Higgins and Adrian McNeish who acted as middlemen sourcing customers and Cadele Clarke bought weapons from Waller.  McNeish and Welch pleaded guilty the other men were convicted after a trial.  The gang, including Waller, were sentenced to a total of 43 years.

Liverpool Echo, 31 March 2010 *

Anthony Eccleston, 19, and a 17-year-old have been found guilty of firing a shotgun at a rival's leg in a "punishment-style" shooting in Huyton, Merseyside, in March 2009 (see Incidents).  They were convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and grievous bodily harm.  Eccleston was jailed for 12 years and Josh Jago, the 17-year-old, was jailed for eight years (Liverpool Echo, 3 July 2010).

Liverpool Echo, 31 March 2010

Three men armed with a knife and a gun manhandled a young woman in her home in Croxteth, Liverpool.  They filled up black bin bags with items including electronic equipment.

Lancashire Evening Post, 31 March 2010

Daryl Wade, 18, held a ball-bearing gun to the head of a schoolboy because he "spoke to his girlfriend".  A member of the public who stepped in was shot in the arm in the incident in Longton, Lancashire.  Wade was sent to a young offenders institute for 18 months for possessing of an imitation firearm with intent and a further eight months consecutive for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.  He had pleaded guilty.

Kent Online, 31 March 2010

Three teenagers have been arrested after a 15-year-old boy was robbed and shot in the face with a BB gun in a street in Ashford, Kent.  The boys were arrested on suspicion of robbery and released on bail.

Ilford Recorder, 31 March 2010

Shots were fired from a car in Ilford, east London, and two weeks earlier a gunman had fired a gun at a car tyre in Seven Kings.

Halesowen News, 31 March 2010

Alex Williams threatened a taxi driver with a blank-firing gun in a dispute over a fare outside his home in Oldbury, West Midlands.  He was drunk at the time and had gone into his house to get the gun and loaded it before showing it to the driver who believed it was real.  Williams admitted possessing the imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.  He was sent to prison for 16 months.

Daily Mirror, 31 March 2010

Helen Lawson fired both barrels of a shotgun at point-blank range at her husband after waking him up in bed at their home in Wellow, Isle of Wight, in January 2009 (see Incidents).  She was found guilty of murder and will serve a minimum of 15 years in prison.

BBC, 31 March 2010

Two contract killers have been jailed for life for murdering a man who was shot outside his home in Dagenham, east London, October 2004 (see Incidents), and died nine months later.  Douglas Johnson and David Austin lay in wait for their victim as he returned home.  Johnson shot him in the back of the neck.  Another man was convicted of perverting the course of justice.  The motive for the killing has never been established and no one else has ever been charged.

BBC, 31 March 2010 *

A coroner has criticised police in Lincolnshire for "extraordinary" failings in the lead up to a man shooting his teenage step-daughter before killing himself.  Elvis Cant was on police bail accused of assaulting and threatening to kill her at the time of the incident in Potterhanworth, Lincolnshire, where Cant had tracked her down in July 2009 (see Incidents).  He had a double barrelled shotgun he had bought hours earlier and struggled with his step-daughter's natural father before shooting her in the leg and then missing her with a second shot.  He was found dead an hour later in a nearby field with gunshot wounds.  Officers had confiscated three shotguns from Cant but did not take his firearms certificate allowing him to buy the other gun.  An open verdict was recorded on Cant because the coroner was not entirely clear how he came by his death.  Lincolnshire Police offered an unreserved apology to the victim and her family.  Four officers are to receive "management words of advice" after failing to take steps to find and seize the certificate (Lincolnshire Echo, 26 May 2010).

BBC, 31 March 2010

Andrew Copland shot his ex-partner and their 4-year-old daughter at his home in Aldershot, Hampshire, in December 2009 (see Incidents) before killing himself an inquest heard.  The weapon was a 1934 Beretta semi-automatic pistol.  His ex-partner's new boyfriend said she had told him Copland was violent and had a gun in the loft.  The coroner recorded that he had unlawfully killed the mother and child and then took his own life.  Copland had found the gun in a skip whilst he was working as a builder in 1998 (BBC, 2 April 2010).

BBC, 31 March 2010

John Twomey, Glen Cameron, Peter Blake and Barry Hibberd have been found guilty of robbery and having a firearm with intent to commit robbery.  The men robbed a cargo warehouse at Heathrow Airport, west London, in February 2004.  The gang were armed with handguns.  Sixteen staff members were tied up and threatened and the men managed to steal £1.75m.  They will be sentenced later.  Hibbard was found not guilty of 13 charges on unrelated firearms offences concerning a cache of weapons at a lock-up garage in Uxbridge.  Twomey was sentenced to 20 years, Blake was jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years and Cameron and Hibberd were sentenced to 15 years and 17 years and six months, respectively.

yourcanterbury.co.uk, 30 March 2010

Armed police arrested a man and a woman on suspicion of assault, possession of a firearm without a certificate and the cultivation of cannabis after an incident in Chislet, Kent.  Another man was treated for head injuries.

Southern Daily Echo, 30 March 2010

David Collier hid a pump action shotgun and ammunition after police stopped a car driven by a known drug dealer in St Mary's, Southampton.  The gun had been stolen in a burglary at the home of a gun club member.  Collier thought the gun and ammunition were drugs and associated paraphernalia he had loaded in the car and hid them after the dealer told him to get rid of his stuff.  He admitted being in possessing of the shotgun and cartridges and was jailed for 12 months.

Mail, 30 March 2010

A man was ordered by a gang to hand over the keys of his wife's car which he was washing in Battersea, south west London.  A gun was pointed to his head.  The gang ran off taking the keys when passers-by arrived on the scene.

Lynn News, 30 March 2010

An inquest has heard how in December 2009 a man found his wife in a room at their home in Shouldham Thorpe, Norfolk, with devastating head injuries and his shotgun by her side.  A coroner said that she had died from a head injury caused by a shotgun discharge and recorded a verdict of "suicide while suffering from a mental disorder".

The Argus, 30 March 2010

A man was arrested on the top deck of a bus on suspicion of possessing a firearm in a public place with intent to cause fear or alarm.  A passenger raised the alarm as the bus passed through Peacehaven, East Sussex, and the driver was advised to continue the journey until police officers could reach the bus.  When they got on and arrested the man they found a BB gun and an air rifle.

Uxbridge Gazette, 29 March 2010

A post office van driver was held at gunpoint during an armed raid in Hayes, west London.  Two men stole bags and a box containing an unspecified amount of money.

This is Lancashire, 29 March 2010 *

A man has died from a shotgun wound to the head at a flat in Breightmet, Lancashire.  A man was taken away from the scene but no arrests have been made.  Police have now confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.  His death was initially thought to be a suicide but police are looking into the possibility that it may have been an accident.  The shotgun was sawn-off and not legally owned by the man (This is Lancashire, 8 April 2010).

Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 29 March 2010

Youngsters playing near their homes in Rawthorpe, West Yorkshire, found a pump-action shotgun.  The weapon was rusted and burnt, there was no handle and it looked sawn off.  Police have taken it for forensic examination.

BBC, 29 March 2010

A gunman threatened staff at a supermarket in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire.  No weapon has yet been recovered and no arrest has been made.

BBC, 29 March 2010

Ernest Wright has been jailed for the rest of his life for the murder of a man whom he shot in the neck with a shotgun in Bradford in March 2009 (see Incidents).  He was also found guilty of attempting to murder the victim's partner.  He had befriended the survivor's mother and had persuaded her to have her benefit payments paid into his bank account instead of her son's and in the days leading up to the shooting there was a series of confrontations between the three men.  Wright had already served a long prison term for murder in 1971.

BBC, 29 March 2010

Three boys, aged 12 and 13, have been expelled from a school in Birmingham after they were caught on CCTV playing with a BB gun in the school.

BBC, 28 March 2010

Police are investigating after a firearm was discharged in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.  No-one was hurt in the incident.

Stoke Newington People, 27 March 2010

A road in Stoke Newington, north London, was closed off while police officers investigated reports of gunfire.  A blogger reported seeing a boy running away limping and being chased by a gang of other boys, one carrying a handgun.

Liverpool Echo, 27 March 2010

A man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm and ammunition after raids on two houses in Dovecot, Merseyside, during which a handgun was found.  Other people were arrested over drug offences.

The Journal, 27 March 2010

Neil Lock, one of a number of people convicted for their involvement with a chain of brothels all over the North of England, also pleaded guilty to possessing a shotgun without a certificate.  He is currently serving a four year sentence.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 27 March 2010

A window was shattered by an air weapon pellet in Lascelles Hall, West Yorkshire.

Bolton News, 27 March 2010 *

Ian Shaw from Farnworth, Greater Manchester, has pleaded guilty to possessing an 8mm self-loading handgun and various ammunition, both bullets and cartridges.  He also pleaded guilty to handling a stolen vehicle.  The case was adjourned.  The weapons were found at a house by Bolton's Organised Crime Unit (see February 2010 Incidents).  Shaw, who is a former RAF weapons technician, has been jailed for over eight years.  The weapon was a blank-firing handgun which had been modified to fire live rounds (Bolton News, 15 May 2010).

West Yorkshire Police, 26 March 2010

A loaded Uzi machine gun, bullets and shotgun cartridges were recovered by police from a house in Holbeck, Leeds.  A man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and ammunition without a certificate.

This is Gloucestershire, 26 March 2010

Sean Creed from Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, has admitted three charges of possessing weaponry without a firearm certificate.  He was caught with two .22 rifles in May 2009 (see October 2009 Incidents) without a certificate, 282 rounds of ammunition, including expanding rounds.  Some of the ammunition was found in his car and the guns and the rest of the ammunition were found when his home was searched.  He was given a suspended nine-month jail sentence.

Stourbridge News, 26 March 2010

Ben Goodwin, 18, has pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and having a firearm.  He fired an air pistol at a love rival during an incident in Redditch, Worcestershire, in December 2008.  Two pellets were embedded in the face of his victim.  Surgery was not possible and doctors were hoping the pellets would eventually work their way out.  Goodwin was sentenced to two years detention.

Skegness Standard, 26 March 2010

Josef Klaczka has admitted three charges of possession of a prohibited weapon together with possession of extreme pornography and possession of counterfeit currency.  The weapons included a stun gun found at his home in Winthorpe, Lincolnshire.

Birmingham Mail, 26 March 2010

Norman Fox from Kenilworth, Warwickshire, one of a number of men convicted of drugs offences, admitted possessing a Taser stun gun.  He was jailed for four years.

BBC, 26 March 2010

A security guard was shot in the leg during a robbery in Fulwood, Lancashire.  The victim was in a stable condition in hospital and his injuries are not life-threatening.  The attack took place at a supermarket.

BBC, 26 March 2010

Four teenagers were arrested in Chichester, West Sussex, after a gun was fired at a building, damaging a window.  There were all arrested on suspicion of possessing of a firearm and criminal damage.

Worcester News, 25 March 2010

Teachers at a school in Blackminster, Worcester, organised a stunt for a science project in which a teacher pretended to be shot dead.  A clapperboard was used to simulate the sound of a gunshot.  Many pupils have reported being horrified by the stunt.

West Yorkshire Police, 25 March 2010

A shotgun and ammunition were seized by police in the Dewsbury area of West Yorkshire during a co-ordinated day of action on burglary.

Southwark News, 25 March 2010

A 14-year-old from Peckham, south London, stashed a loaded Colt .45 self-loading pistol at his home.  It was found when police raided in November 2009.  He had been trusted by a gangland friend to keep the gun which has been fired in six incidents in Camberwell, Plaistow, Gipsy Hill, Sutton, New Cross and West Norwood.  The boy admitted having the loaded pistol with intent to endanger life and was given a two-year intensive supervision and surveillance order.

Southend Standard, 25 March 2010

Armed police surrounded a house in Southend, Essex, after a woman reported she had been threatened with a gun outside her home.  Calls were made for a woman to come out of the house and give herself up, and a woman was arrested.

Northern Echo, 25 March 2010 *

Christopher Williams and Robert Eccles have admitted a robbery which Williams planned when he was in jail.  A gang armed with a hammer and a Taser gun grabbed four boxes of cash from security men at a cash point in Yarm, Teesside, in April 2008.  A third man, Mark Campbell, admitted assisting an offender and was given a suspended eight-month prison sentence.  Other members of the gang have not been caught.  Eccles was jailed for eight years and Williams for nine years (Evening Gazette, 14 May 2010).

Guardian, 25 March 2010

An inquest jury has recorded a verdict of unlawful killing against officers from Greater Manchester Police following the death of PC Ian Terry who was shot during a firearms training exercise in Newton Heath in June 2008 (see Incidents).  A shotgun which was supposed to be used to blow out car tyres was pointed at PC Terry and fired.  Officers were told specifically to keep shotguns aimed downwards at all times but these instructions were routinely flouted.  A decision not to bring charges over the fatal shooting is to be re-examined by prosecutors (BBC, 26 March 2010).

Guardian, 25 March 2010 *

A woman was found dead in a flat above the post office she owned with her husband in Melsonby, North Yorkshire.  She died from head injuries and is believed to have been bludgeoned.  Her husband has told police that he was in the post office when a man appeared from the flat carrying a gun and told him "We've got your wife".  The man escaped with money.  The post office was also robbed in March 2009 (see Incidents) by two men armed with an imitation gun which was discarded at the scene.  It would now appear that an armed robbery did not take place as the husband has been arrested and charged with the murder (Daily Mail, 17 April 2010).

Gazette & Herald, 25 March 2010

A teenager charged with robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to commit the offence has pleaded guilty.  Sam Champion was involved when a 17-year-old was dragged into an alleyway in Chippenham, Wiltshire, and forced to hand over his phone and wallet in October 2009 (see December 2009 Incidents).  Champion has been jailed for two and a half years.  A youth and another man were also arrested but have not been charged with any offences.

Gazette & Herald, 25 March 2010

A woman was shot in the leg with a BB gun by a teenager, believed to be about 14, as she was putting her young child into a car seat outside a shop in Chippenham, Wiltshire.  The shot was fired from the back seat of a car.

BBC, 25 March 2010

Two brothers, Brett and Jordan Francis, must each serve a minimum of 28 years in prison for the murder of a man who was shot dead at his home in Oldham, Greater Manchester, in September 2009 (see Incidents).  It is believed the shooting resulted from a dispute over a drugs debt.

BBC, 25 March 2010

Twelve people were arrested during police drug raids in Derby, one of possessing a firearm.

Wandsworth Guardian, 24 March 2010

Staff and customers at a pub in Brixton, south London, were robbed by four men armed with a gun and a machete.  The gang stole a quantity of cash.

Telegraph, 24 March 2010

A man was dragged from a bus by firearms officers after a man onboard pulled out a suspected gun.  The incident took place near Victoria Station, central London.  A witness described the man as appearing drunk and stumbling (BBC, 24 March 2010).

The Press, 24 March 2010 *

A woman was taken to hospital after she was shot with an airgun in a street in York.  A pellet struck her in the head.  A 15-year-old has been arrested and bailed over the incident (The Press, 3 April 2010).  Two teenagers have pleaded guilty to a number of offences and been fined and ordered to pay compensation (see July 2010 Incidents).

Lancashire Telegraph, 24 March 2010

Peter Johnson stole items, including an air rifle and a mountain bike, from a family's porch and shed in Waterfoot, Lancashire, after taking a cocktail of drink and drugs.  He was seen carrying a bag, with a gun over his shoulders.  The police found him slumped over the handlebars of a bike.  Johnson, who had only recently been released from prison was jailed for 39 months.

Hereford Times, 24 March 2010

A man was injured in a street in Kington, Herefordshire, when he was hit with an airgun pellet.  He went to hospital where the pellet was removed from his hand.

Express & Star, 24 March 2010

A loaded Mac 10 machine pistol was found at a home in Blakenhall, Wolverhampton, in one of a number of raids in the West Midlands.  A man and a woman were arrested in Blakenhall.

Evening Star, 24 March 2010

Robert Franks-Jones has admitted possessing an imitation firearm, a deactivated bolt-action rifle, with intent to cause fear of violence during an incident in December 2009 in which he pointed the gun at a police officer.  Officers had gone to his home in Thurlow, Suffolk, after receiving a call from his mother who claimed he had grabbed her round the throat.  Franks-Jones was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £750 compensation and £250 costs.

Daily Mirror, 24 March 2010

A security officer at Belmarsh prison, south east London, was arrested after an automatic firearm was found at his home.  He was released on bail and suspended from duty.

BBC, 24 March 2010

A man was shot in the leg in the Top Valley area of Nottingham.  He was in a stable condition in hospital where he had received treatment for his wounds.  In a second incident guns were fired from cars in the New Basford area, although no-one is thought to have been injured.  Two men arrested on suspicion of firearms offences in connection with the second incident were released on bail (BBC, 27 March 2010).

This is the West Country, 23 March 2010 *

A father has told how a man aimed a shotgun at him when he stopped at the roadside in Nether Stowey, Somerset, so that his stepchildren could pick some daffodils.  A man wielding a shotgun was "shouting and screaming" and tried to grab the flowers from his stepdaughter.  As they drove to a nearby pub to wait for the police they believe they were shot at.  A man has been charged with failing to comply with conditions of a shotgun certificate and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and common assault (This is the West Country, 9 April 2010).

The Sentinel, 23 March 2010

Three men armed with a handgun burst into the offices of a cash-and-carry in Hanley, Staffordshire, and tied up two workers before escaping with a "quantity of cash".

Ham & High, 23 March 2010

A 17-year-old pupil has been arrested on suspicion of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause harassment alarm or distress after pointing a toy gun at pupils outside the gate of a school in Camden, north London.  The gun was a prop taken from a drama department.  He was released without change but has been suspended by the school.

Evening Telegraph (Peterborough), 23 March 2010 *

A man has appeared in court charged with two counts of robbery and one of dangerous driving following two robberies.  In the first in Cambridge a man approached a woman and demanded she hand over her car keys, pushing an object she believed to be a gun against her hip.  The second incident occurred at a bank in Peterborough where a man brandishing what staff believed was an imitation gun demanded money.  He stole £5000.  Eduardo Coelho has pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two of possession of an imitation firearm and one of careless driving and been jailed for eight years (Cambridge News, 12 May 2010).

Evening Standard, 23 March 2010 *

A woman has been shot on the doorstep of her home in Clapton, east London.  She was found with fatal injuries and pronounced dead at the scene.  It has been suggested that the murder was a domestic incident that got out of hand and that the weapon was a shotgun (Hackney Post, 25 March 2010).  The victim's former husband and another man were arrested on suspicion of murder, and a boy of 15 has been charged with the alleged contract killing (Daily Mirror, 14 April 2010).

Birmingham Mail, 23 March 2010

Majid Khan posted a picture of himself pointing an automatic pistol on Facebook.  It was spotted by a community crime-fighter who alerted the police.  When they searched his bedroom in Handsworth, Birmingham, in November 2009 they found an imitation pistol, illegally converted to fire 8mm bullets.  When they looked at his computer they discovered "he had an unhealthy interest in firearms".  He has been sentenced to five years in jail.

BBC, 23 March 2010

A couple were threatened by four masked men armed with shotguns who broke into their house in Caddington, Bedfordshire.  The gang took money and two shotguns from the couple.

The Argus, 23 March 2010

Two men stole about £17,000 from security guards delivering money to a cashpoint in Chichester, West Sussex.  Two men were later arrested in Worthing and charged with robbery, using a prohibited weapon during the raid and possession of a second gun.  Police recovered the cash and seized two handguns which had been decommissioned and would not have been capable of firing.

Witney Gazette, 22 March 2010

Mark Walker of Banbury, Oxfordshire, admitted failing to comply with a condition of a shotgun certificate by failing to notify a change in address.  He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and told to pay £70 costs.

North-West Evening Mail, 22 March 2010

A 16-year-old who was seen carrying an air rifle around Ulverston, Cumbria, and buying pellets from a shop went to the town's canal and fired the gun at a tin can.  He has pleaded guilty to possessing the weapon in public and buying ammunition.  He had used birthday money to buy the gun for £230.  He has been handed back the weapon so that it can be sold back to the shop where it was bought.  The magistrate ordered the destruction of the pellets.  The boy must carry out six sessions of a youth rehabilitation order and had to pay £85 costs.

Kent Online, 22 March 2010

Two men armed with a knife and a gun demanded cash from staff at a supermarket in Westerham, Kent.

Kent Online, 22 March 2010

A former bomb disposal expert accused of attempting to murder his wife and her son in a car explosion in Vigo, Kent, also faces a charge of possessing 95 rounds of 5.56mm rifle bullets.

Get Bracknell, 22 March 2010

A 17-year-old has been jailed for possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply, possessing a stun gun and assaulting a police officer.  He was arrested following a drugs raid in Bullbrook, Berkshire, in November 2009.  He will serve a minimum of nine months.

Evening Chronicle, 22 March 2010

Police who called at the North Tyneside home of David Moore about a possible offence in relation to an e-mail he had sent, found a gun and ammunition which he said he had bought as props while studying media and animation.  The gun had been drilled through to convert it from only being able to fire blanks.  The police also unearthed 50 rounds of .38 ammunition, a sword and a BB gun.  He admitted having the weapon and bullets and converting the gun and received a five year sentence.

Enfield Independent, 22 March 2010

Joseph Morrison and Marvin Jacobs have both been found guilty of possession of a firearm, kidnap, blackmail, actual bodily harm and aggravated burglary and each sentenced to 16 years.  They disguised themselves as postmen and forced entry into people's houses.  In one incident in Enfield, north London, they used a stun gun on a man.  When they fled they left behind a number of items including a shotgun.

Croydon Guardian, 22 March 2010 *

A man has been shot dead on an estate in Gipsy Hill, south London.  The cause of death was a shotgun wound to the torso.  Six people, five of them aged 20 or under, have been charged with murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life (Southwark News, 16 April 2010).

Cotswold Journal, 22 March 2010 *

A man from Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, faces a total of 11 charges of possessing firearm and ammunition without holding a firearms certificate or having Government permission.  Police are said to have found three guns of 9mm, .308 and 7.64 calibre at his home.  Christopher Hance has already admitted possession of a 9mm cartridge and a 12 gauge shotgun slug without having a firearms certificate.  He has been fined £1000 after admitting ten charges.  He made his own ammunition and claimed he had accumulated too much because of "bad housekeeping".  He no longer has a firearms certificate (Cotswold Journal, 28 April 2010).

BBC, 22 March 2010

A man was shot in the chest with a ball-bearing gun when two men went into a bookmakers in Middleton, Greater Manchester.  The offenders fled empty-handed.  The victim was taken to hospital to have the pellets removed and was later released.

This is Lancashire, 20 March 2010 *

Members of a teenage gang have been given long sentences for their involvement in an attack on a group of men in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in April 2009.  An off-duty firearms officer was pistol-whipped with a ball-bearing gun and hit twice in the face when the gun was fired.  Two of the gang had also been involved in robberies in June and July.  A 17-year-old was sentenced to eight years and two months after pleading guilty to violent disorder, possessing a firearm and three counts of aggravated burglary.  Two boys, aged 17 and 16, were given seven year sentences for violent disorder and two counts of aggravated burglary.  Another 17-year-old was given a 12-month community order after pleading guilty to violent disorder.  Lewis Speakman, 18, was ordered to do 80 hours community service for his part in the attack after pleading guilty to violent disorder and being part of the gang (This is Lancashire, 19 April 2010).

Braintree and Witham Times, 20 March 2010

Residents on an estate in Witham, Essex, are calling for a stronger police presence following vandalism and verbal abuse including, according to one resident, a lot of problems with children using BB guns.

Yorkshire Evening Post, 19 March 2010

Andrew Heeley shot a teenager with an airgun after snowballs were thrown at his house in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, in December 2009.  He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm but denied knowing the gun was loaded.  He had been drinking just prior to the incident.  Four or five shots were fired from his gas-powered air rifle, but he said he was never aiming to hit the 16-year-old victim who had two pellets lodged in his forehead.  Heeley owned four airguns and did target practice in his garden.  He has been jailed for nine months.

The Sentinel, 19 March 2010

A team of detectives who used to CCTV to jail two men following an armed robbery in Newcastle, Staffordshire, in August 2008 have been commended.  The two men were captured just days after using an imitation firearm to rob an antique shop.

Oxford Mail, 19 March 2010

An air rifle was among a haul of 76 weapons confiscated by police during a raid at a travellers' site in East Challow, Oxfordshire.  Two men were arrested in connection with an assault.

Luton Today, 19 March 2010

An imitation pump-action shotgun and crack cocaine were seized when police raided a house in Luton, Bedfordshire.  Two men, one a teenager, have been arrested.

Epsom Guardian, 19 March 2010

Drivers on the A309 close to the Hook Junction in Surrey were shot at with an air rifle.  The incidents took place when cars were driving through a wooded area.  The police said they had received "many" reports of vehicles being damaged, most of them with smashed windows and windscreens.

Birmingham Mail, 19 March 2010

Ricardo Cousins, 20, has been found guilty of aggravated burglary and possessing a firearm with intent.  He was one of four men who went to a house in Handsworth, Birmingham, in September 2009 and forced a man to hand over a gold bracelet.  They also made off with cash and a car.

BBC, 19 March 2010

A man was arrested in his vehicle in Nottingham and charged with two counts of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, possession of cannabis and possessing a firearm and ammunition without a certificate.

Tameside Advertiser, 18 March 2010

Two victims were handcuffed during a robbery at a sorting office in Droylsden, Greater Manchester.  Three men, possibly armed with a shotgun and a knife, stole a large amount of registered items from the back of a van and left.

Southern Daily Echo, 18 March 2010 *

A man is believed to have shot himself in the garden of his cottage in Fawley, Hampshire.  His body was found by his son.  The police confirmed that he died as a result of head injuries caused by a shotgun blast and his death was not being treated as suspicious.  A coroner has recorded that he deliberately took his own life (Southern Daily Echo, 16 April 2010).

Local Guardian, 18 March 2010

Children were threatened at gunpoint during a robbery at a home in Norbury, south London, in February.  Five men threatened to shoot the children unless they were given cash and jewellery.  The home may have been targeted to steal a dowry which was part of the owner's son's recent wedding.

Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette, 18 March 2010

A man spotted carrying an air weapon in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, was arrested and cautioned for being in possession of the weapon in a public place.  He told officers he was using it to fire at tin cans for target practice.

Islington Gazette, 18 March 2010

Richard Hiorns was shot by armed police after he told them he would shoot them in the head.  He pointed a replica Glock handgun from inside his flat in Upper Holloway, north London, in October 2009 (see Incidents).  Six shots were fired from the blank-firing weapon.  He had called police demanding to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act.  Police found five imitation firearms and a silver revolver during a search of the flat.  He admitted possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.  He will be sentenced in April.

Haverhill Weekly News, 18 March 2010

A police officer based in Haverhill, Suffolk, has received a commendation after disarming a man during a domestic dispute.  A man who had been holding a long-barrelled rifle was arrested.

Ham & High, 18 March 2010 *

A man has carried out a series of gunpoint muggings in Belsize Park and Hampstead, north London.  He confronted a couple in a lift and stole items of personal property from their flat.  In a second attack he demanded that a woman hand over money, and then 20 minutes later he is believed to have pulled out a gun and demanded money from another woman.  A man has been arrested in connection with the robberies (Camden New Journal, 15 April 2010).

Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle, 18 March 2010

A loaded revolver was found hidden in a laundry basket during a raid on a barber shop in Shepherd's Bush, west London.  Two men were arrested.

BBC, 18 March 2010

Six men and two women have been arrested by Lancashire Police following a series of raids in Walton-le-Dale, Deepdale, Ingol and Fulwood.  Firearms, ammunition and cash were seized during the raids.  One of the men, a police officer thought to be from Walton-le-Dale, has been charged with a series of offences including three counts of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition (Lancashire Evening Post, 19 March 2010).

The Argus, 18 March 2010

A man was detained after armed police went to a street in Saltdean, East Sussex, after receiving reports of a man brandishing a gun.  No gun was found and investigations were continuing.

Westmorland Gazette, 17 March 2010

A coroner has recorded a verdict of suicide after a retired farmer shot himself with a shotgun at his home near Ulverston, Cumbria, in September 2009.  The death was initially treated as suspicious because his step-son, with whom he lived, had moved the body and the gun and cleaned up the blood.  The coroner warned against clearing up after someone's death.

Scunthorpe Telegraph, 17 March 2010

Two men armed with a gun raided the post office in Owston Ferry, Humberside.  They smashed a partition screen before stealing a large amount of cash from behind the counter.  Two men have been appeared in court charged in connection with this robbery and two others which took place month, one on another post office in Hensall, North Yorkshire (see below) and one on a bookmakers in Thorne, South Yorkshire (BBC, 27 March 2010).  They have also been charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing a sawn-off shotgun (Scunthorpe Telegraph, 27 March 2010).

The News (Portsmouth), 17 March 2010

Carl Cox hid a loaded air pistol underneath his jumper after his partner had asked him to move out and then drank a full bottle of whisky at his partner's mother's home in Havant, Hampshire.  He then brandished the gun, pointed it at his temple and said he wanted to 'end it all'.  The gun was wrestled off him but fired during the struggle.  After the incident he handed himself in to the police.  He admitted possession of a firearm and was ordered to pay a £100 fine, costs and victim surcharge.  The gun is to be destroyed.

Get Surrey, 17 March 2010

A man who described himself as a "gun nut" has admitted two offences of unlawful possession of ammunition.  Police found two antique pistols and rounds of ammunition at the house of Robert Storey in Windlesham, Surrey, in September 2009.  The pistols were part of a collection he inherited from his late father and mother and he thought they were deactivated, which they were not.  Charges relating to them have been left to lie on file.  He was fined a total of £2000 and ordered to pay £1000 costs.

Evening Chronicle, 17 March 2010

Two men armed with a sawn-off shotgun and a machete set out to threaten a rival but one of them shot the other inadvertently during the incident in South Moor, County Durham, in June 2009 (see Incidents).  Raymond Hetherington, who fired the shot, had already been jailed for nine-and-a-half year for his role (see January 2010 Incidents).  Brian Sutton, who was riddled with shotgun pellets, was sentenced to two years in jail after pleading guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon.

Echo, 17 March 2010

Benjamin McMahon got off a train at Benfleet, Essex, and followed a 15-year-old boy along the platform before threatening him with a gun and demanding he claimed was owed to him.  However, it was the wrong boy.  He has been jailed for 12 months for possession of an imitation gun.

Birmingham Mail, 17 March 2010

Tobias Rowe has been convicted of the attempted murder of a man who was shot in a pub during race riots in Handsworth, Birmingham, in October 2005 (see Incidents).  He shot his victim in the right buttock.  He was also found guilty of rioting, conspiracy to rob, two charges of possessing a firearm and possessing ammunition.  Police caught him and found a loaded gun under a mattress when they raided a flat in the centre of Birmingham where Rowe was celebrating his birthday last year.

West Yorkshire Police, 16 March 2010

Omar Shah has been sentenced to 13 years in prison following a shooting at a nightclub in the centre of Bradford in November 2009 (see Incidents).  After being ejected from the club he returned with a double barrelled shotgun and fired it towards bar staff.  Three members of the public were injured.  He was convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, GBH and two counts of ABH.

Manchester Evening News, 16 March 2010

Armed police swooped on a house in Moss Side, Manchester, after a tip-off that a man had been seen with a firearm in nearby Hulme.  Two men were arrested.

Bolton News, 16 March 2010

A car windscreen was shattered by a bullet as two groups of men clashed in Great Lever, Greater Manchester.  Police found a bullet casing, believed to be from a handgun.  Nine men were being questioned and officers were dispatched to search their homes for further evidence of firearms.

BBC, 16 March 2010

A man was seriously hurt when he dropped a shotgun at a farm in Combe Martin, Devon.  He was injured in the arm and has undergone surgery.  Armed police were automatically dispatched as they are to any report of a firearm incident.

BBC, 16 March 2010

Two men threatened the cashier at a service station shop in Andover, Hampshire, with a gun and an iron bar and stole £100.  They escaped in a car driven by a third man.

Liverpool Echo, 15 March 2010

Three men armed with a shotgun and knives burst into a pub in Stoneycroft, Liverpool, and forced customers to lie on the floor.  They stole money from the till, said to be several hundreds of pounds.  They escaped in a car which they stole from a taxi driver.

Evening Star, 15 March 2010

The window of a carriage was shattered as a train approached Stowmarket, Suffolk.  Passengers were showered with broken glass and left frightened and shocked.  It is suspected that an airgun was used, and the conductor saw people in a field with rifles.

Evening Chronicle, 15 March 2010

Philip Curry and Stephen Moat have admitted a number of robberies and burglaries across Tyneside.  In one of the raids on a store in Benton in September 2009 (see Incidents) staff were threatened with a shotgun and machete.

Enfield Independent, 15 March 2010

Jonathan Lisumbu, 18, stashed cash and a pistol behind a toilet at his flat in Edmonton, north London.  He had been part of a gang of four who broke into a house in Edmonton in August 2009 and stole £9000 and a gold chain.  Police found the stolen goods and a replica pistol converted into a working firearm.  Forensic examination showed that the gun had been fired.  Lisumbu pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, and had earlier been found guilty of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition without a firearms certificate.  He was sentenced to five years for possession of the gun, two years for possession of ammunition and six months for handling stolen goods, the sentences to be served concurrently.  Three other teenagers pleaded guilty to burglary or handling stolen goods.

East Anglian Daily Times, 15 March 2010

A shopkeeper had to undergo emergency surgery after he was shot in the face with a BB gun when three men raided a shop in Ipswich.  The men demanded money and eventually stole the till.  Around £800 was stolen along with the till.

Daily Mirror, 15 March 2010

Reporters investigating a family in Crawley, West Sussex, who are alleged to have subjected fellow residents to 15 years of torment, were greeted by the crack of an air rifle.

BBC, 15 March 2010

Four men have been charged in connection with a fight at a nightclub in Loughton, Essex, in January 2009 during which one man was shot in the hand.

BBC, 15 March 2010

Two men threatened staff at a store in Ludwell, Dorset, with a gun before escaping on foot with cash.  The weapon was described as a handgun (Salisbury Journal, 15 March 2010).

BBC, 14 March 2010

Three raiders burst into a shop in Widnes, Cheshire, armed with a knife and gun.  The previous evening three men armed with a shotgun robbed a store in Mossley Hill, Merseyside. In both incidents cash and cigarettes were taken.  The gun used in the Widnes raid was later reported to be a type of shotgun (Liverpool Echo, 15 March 2010).

Telegraph & Argus, 13 March 2010

Three aggravated burglaries took place at homes in the Heaton area of Bradford during February.  In one the robbers are understood to have brandished a sawn-off shotgun, hitting a woman over the head with it before stealing jewellery.

Northern Echo, 13 March 2010

An air rifle was recovered at an address in Grangetown, Teesside, where police arrested three men on suspicion of burglary at an industrial site in Redcar.

Northern Echo, 13 March 2010

James Mosley, 19,  was drunk when he waved an imitation handgun from a car window at a couple walking in a street in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, in August 2009.  Mosley, a former soldier, was arrested shortly afterwards and the firearm was found to be a novelty lighter, an exact replica 9mm Beretta handgun which he had bought in Turkey.  He was sent to a young offenders' institution for eight months.  The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the imitation handgun.

The News (Portsmouth), 12 March 2010

Sam Hutton has pleaded guilty to pointing a gas-powered ball bearing gun at an 11-year-old and his friends as they were playing together in Chichester, West Sussex.  He was in a car at the time of the incident in January 2009.  He was sentenced to three years in jail.

Lancashire Telegraph, 12 March 2010

A man was in a critical condition following an incident with a bolt gun at a butchers in Chipping, Lancashire.  He was airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries.  The incident is not being treated as suspicious.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 12 March 2010

Anthony Scott, 18, has been given a four-and-a-half year sentence after being found guilty of robbing another teenager of £5 in Kirkheaton, West Yorkshire, in December 2009.  He was armed with a realistic-looking black ball bearing handgun when he demanded money from his victim.  It was not certain whether or not a pellet had been discharged but the victim had to be treated in hospital for an injury to his nose.

Hartlepool Mail, 12 March 2010

A man from Hartlepool, Teesside, who armed himself with a taser stun gun after hearing rumours that he was going to be burgled has admitted possession of a firearm.  Keith Turner was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and 12 months probation supervision and 140 hours of unpaid work.

Evening Telegraph (Northamptonshire), 12 March 2010

John-Paul Owen and Darren Start have each been jailed for seven years following an attempted robbery on a store in Kettering, Northamptonshire, in September 2009 (see Incidents).  Shop staff were terrified with a samurai sword and an imitation firearm and one of them was hit three times with the gun butt, fracturing his ribs. Owen admitted robbery and Start was convicted of robbery, possession of an imitation firearm and an offensive weapon. 

Chelmsford Weekly News, 12 March 2010

A man entered a store in Chelmsford, Essex, armed with a gun and forced staff to hand over cash from the tills.  An undisclosed three figure sum was taken.

BBC, 12 March 2010

A 14-year-old boy has died at an address in Merstham, Surrey.  He is believed to have been shot with a firearm.  The occupants of the home are thought to be registered firearm keepers.  The police are not looking for anyone in connection with the incident.  It appears that the boy shot himself with a shotgun with a licensed firearm registered to his father (Telegraph, 13 March 2010).

North-West Evening Mail, 11 March 2010

A man from Barrow, Cumbria, has appeared in court after allegedly threatening another man with a gun.  He was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and possessing a firearm with intent to cause two others to believe that unlawful would be used against them.

Liverpool Echo, 11 March 2010

Stephen Coulter, Lee Coulter and Jason Sunderland have all been convicted of the murder of a man who was shot in Kirkdale, Liverpool, Merseyside, in June 2008 (see Incidents).  They were all jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years.  Wesley Porter who supplied the murder weapon was also found guilty of murder and will serve at least 27 years.

Evesham Journal, 11 March 2010

Brendan Ash was found with a stun gun and drugs when police searched his home in Evesham, Worcestershire, in January 2010.  He admitted buying the gun but said he could not remember why.  He pleaded guilty to possession of class A and B drugs as well as a weapon.  He was fined a total of £125, given a 12-month community order with 150 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay costs.

BBC, 11 March 2010

A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a man who was shot in the head in Bensham, Tyneside, in August 1999.  Stephen Hardy will be sentenced after the trial of another man who has been charged with conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm.

Welwyn & Hatfield Times, 10 March 2010

A man had his laptop stolen as he was walking in a street in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.  He gave it up after seeing "something resembling a gun".  It is believed it was an imitation gun.  A teenager has been arrested.

The Star, 10 March 2010

David Wilson, 20, was drunk when he sparked an armed police operation after being spotted topless in Broomhill, Sheffield, waving an air rifle at neighbouring houses and firing the gun.  He pleaded guilty to threatening unlawful violence.  He was ordered to serve a 12-month community sentence with 120 hours of unpaid work.

Liverpool Daily Post, 10 March 2010

Two robbers burst into a travel agents' in Mossley Hill, south Liverpool, brandishing a handgun.  They ordered some of the staff to open the safe for them and stole foreign currency and traveller's cheques.

Kent Online, 10 March 2010 *

A woman has been shot in the legs in Eastchurch, Kent.  There is speculation that the victim opened the door to a money lender and when she saw he had a shotgun she shut the door but he blasted a hole through it.  Surgeons removed 80 shotgun pellets from the victim's legs following the attack (Kent Online, 18 March 2010).  A man faces four charges including unlawful and malicious wound with intent to do the victim grievous bodily harm, unlawful and malicious wound, threatening to kill the victim's husband and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.  The court has heard that the shooting may have resulted from a feud over unpaid drugs money (Kent News, 14 July 2010).

Hull Daily Mail, 10 March 2010

Damian Morley and Brian Genther attacked a man then had met at a house party and robbed him taking his ring, wallet and phone.  During the street robbery in west Hull they held him up with a black starting pistol, which they fired four times and put to their victim's head, before hitting and kicking him.  A month previously the pair had taken photographs of themselves posing as gangsters with the gun and a knife.  Morley was jailed for five years and Genther for four years after they both pleaded guilty to robbery.

Hackney Gazette, 10 March 2010

A man was shot in the shoulder in a street in Dalston, north east London.  His condition is described as non-life threatening.

Burton Mail, 10 March 2010

A man denies possessing a firearm in a public place and possessing a firearm with a shortened barrel without a certificate.  He is on trial following an incident in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, in September 2008 when a sawn-off shotgun was wielded during a fracas.  The defendant was traced after DNA was found on the weapon, which was abandoned in a street.  It had been loaded with two live cartridges.  The trial continues.

The Argus, 10 March 2010

Parents are reported to be furious over the sale of "City Police" replica BB guns to primary school children for £1.  The guns, which fire plastic ball-bearings, on sale at a Poundland store in Brighton.  A spokeswoman said that the item would be on sale in all Poundland stores.

This is the West Country, 9 March 2010

Nathan Addicott, 19, has pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.  He and his co-assailant grabbed BB guns and balaclavas and decided to rob a store in Bridgwater, Somerset, in January 2010.  The men fled with more than £500 in cash and cigarettes.  Addicott also admitted other charges and will be sentenced next month.  A second person arrested in connection with the robbery has been released without charge.

This is South Devon, 9 March 2010

Police seized drugs and an air rifle during a raid on a property in Teignmouth, Devon.  A man and a woman were arrested.

Tameside Advertiser, 9 March 2010

A petrol station cashier had an air pistol held to his head during a robbery in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.  Three men stole cash, cigarettes and personal items.  Two teenagers were arrested and charged with robbery and possession of a firearm.  A third suspect was arrested later.

Richmond & Twickenham Times, 9 March 2010

A woman and two young children were threatened with a knife and what was believed to be a pistol whilst they were walking along an alleyway in Chiswick, west London.  They were approached by two men who demanded money and a mobile phone.

Oxford Mail, 9 March 2010

A woman has been detained under the Mental Health Act after she barricaded herself inside a property in Wardington, Oxfordshire, and threatened to take her own life.  It is thought the woman had a gun.

Evening Standard, 9 March 2010

Paul Blake has admitted drugs, firearms and child neglect charges.  After he was arrested in Ilford, east London, in August 2009, police searched his home and discovered cannabis and an imitation pistol with blank cartridges under the mattress of his baby daughter's cot.  He has been jailed for three and a half years.

BBC, 9 March 2010

Shots were fired at a house in Croxteth, Merseyside.  Three children were in the property at the time.  It is thought that two men seen nearby on motorbikes may be involved.

BBC, 9 March 2010

Three men have each been jailed for 10 years after they admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and conspiracy to rob.  Aaron Peters, 19, Dominic Wooliff, 19, and Jericho Annis admitted going to the house of a drug dealer in Barton, Oxford, with a shotgun to steal drugs and money in April 2009 (see Incidents).  The man was left with a graze and burn marks on his neck when the gun went off as he slammed the door shut on them.

BBC, 9 March 2010

A man has been left with shotgun wounds to his chest and arm after a gunman walked into a pub in Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester.  He was taken to hospital where he remained in a stable, but not life-threatening condition.  The gunman fled in a car.

BBC, 9 March 2010 *

Two people have been found dead with gunshot wounds at a flat in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.  A handgun was recovered from the scene.  The police were not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.  It is understood that the man shot his ex-partner before killing himself (Telegraph, 9 March 2010).  A  man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder (BBC, 23 April 2010).

This is Bath, 8 March 2010

Two female paramedics allegedly had a gun pulled on them at a home in Bath after they received an emergency call reporting that a man had suffered an overdose.  A man and a woman were arrested and police retrieved a number of weapons from the flat.

Telegraph & Argus, 8 March 2010

Robbers armed with guns raided a jewellers shop in Bradford.  They had used a car to ram the shop when it opened.

Tameside Advertiser, 8 March 2010

Staff were threatened by two men, one armed with a handgun, at a betting shop in Stalybridge, Cheshire.  One of the men grabbed cash and the pair ran off.

Harrow Times, 8 March 2010

Yannis Young was responsible for a series of raids on bookmakers in north west London between July 2007 and September 2009.  He threatened to kill workers if they did not hand over their takings, as he brandished an imitation handgun, sometimes wrapped in a cloth or a sock.  His accomplices stood guard at the door.  He was arrested the day after robbing two premises in Stanmore and Edgware.  An airgun was seized at his home.  The other raids took place in Cricklewood (2), Harlesden (4), Ealing, Ickenham, Eastcote and East Acton.  He has been jailed for ten years.  He pleaded guilty to 12 counts of armed robbery and possession of a firearm with intent to commit indictable offences and (Uxbridge Gazette, 8 March 2010).

BBC, 8 March 2010

Stun guns, cocaine, stolen vehicles and cash were seized by police in raids on Merseyside.  Eleven people have been charged with conspiracy to supply drugs.

This is Local London, 6 March 2010

Drugs and weapons including a ball-bearing gun, air weapon and firearms ammunition were found during a series of police raids by Essex Police in Epping Forest, Harlow and Brentwood.  Eleven suspects were arrested.

This is Grimsby, 6 March 2010

Michael Davies, 16, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, has been handed a two year anti-social behaviour order after a string of convictions which include trespassing with an imitation firearm.

The Press, 6 March 2010

Two men brandishing sawn-off shotguns threatened to shoot a customer at a post office in Hensall, North Yorkshire.  They demanded the contents of the safe from the postmaster.  Two men have appeared in court in connection with this and other robberies (see above).

Liverpool Echo, 6 March 2010

Robert White from Anfield, Liverpool, fired a BB gun from "point-blank range" at another man because of a grudge over a woman.  He admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, common assault and a bail offence.  He was jailed for eight months.

BBC, 6 March 2010

A man was seriously injured in a shooting in Stepney, east London.  He was in a stable condition in hospital.  Another man suffered gunshot wounds.  He and two others have been arrested in connection with the shooting (BBC, 7 March 2010).

The Argus, 6 March 2010

A landlord waved his licensed shotgun from his bedroom window when he caught a pair of burglars at his pub in Barcombe, East Sussex.  He told the men not to move, but when the police could not get to the scene quickly the men drove off.  The landlord had returned the gun in its cabinet.

The Sentinel, 5 March 2010

A man threatened two women at a store in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, and stole more than £2000.  He brandished a plastic bag believed to contain a handgun.

Romford Recorder, 5 March 2010

A man escaped with £12,000 from a travel agents in Upminster, east London, after waving a gun at two members of staff.

Lincolnshire Echo, 5 March 2010

Two 16-year-olds shot at people and property in Lincoln and Newark, Nottinghamshire, with an air pistol.  During the spree in November 2009 (see Incidents) they fired at four people, windows, a car and a bus.  Car windows were shattered.  The pair have pleaded guilty to two counts of actual bodily harm, two counts of common assault, six counts of criminal damage and being in possession of an imitation firearm.  Both teenagers were given 12-month referral orders and ordered to pay £300 compensation and contribute £85 towards prosecution costs.  At the time of the incidents they were being driven around by Christopher Patterson, 19, who has been locked up for three years in a young offenders' institute (Lincolnshire Echo, 31 March 2010).

Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 5 March 2010

Police who found cannabis plants and crack cocaine at a house in Ravensthorpe, West Yorkshire, also recovered an air rifle.  Two men were arrested.

Dewsbury Reporter, 5 March 2010

A man with what is believed to be a gun and another man brandishing a baton beat a man and tried to steal his Land Rover in Savile Town, Dewsbury in West Yorkshire.  A woman was also threatened.  The men were unable to start the vehicle and fled on foot.

Borehamwood & Elstree Times, 5 March 2010

Two men, one of whom was carrying what appeared to be a black handgun, entered a travel agents in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, told staff and customers to go into a back room and then took a quantity of cash.

West Yorkshire Police, 4 March 2010 *

Two customers at a service station in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, apprehended a man who is alleged to have been making threats to staff with a gun.  The man had fled when police arrived at the scene, but a man was later arrested on suspicion of robbery.  A man has pleaded guilty and been jailed for five years (see May 2010 Incidents).

This is Nottingham, 4 March 2010

A man in on trial accused of murdering a 16-year-old who was shot four times in St Ann's, Nottingham, in February 2002.  It is alleged that the bullets used were "improvised", made up of a .22 air pellet with a BB pellet stuck to the bottom.  Another man denies assisting an offender after he allegedly collected the murder weapon from a flat where it had been left and got rid of it.  Rene Sarpong has been found guilty of the murder  and given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 22 years.  The jury failed to reach a verdict on the other man charged with helping to dispose of the gun (BBC, 26 March 2010).

Stourbridge News, 4 March 2010

Two men who have been jailed for running a cannabis factory in Brierley Hill, West Midlands, said they had been threatened with a gun by the man who had leased an old coach from them and had set up the operation.  However, after he left they continued to operate the factory.  Ian Walker and Paul Weston were each jailed for four years.

South London Press, 4 March 2010

A total of 77 tower block windows have been hit and £10,000 damage caused during an airgun attack on a block in Rotherhithe, south east London.  All the windows have been blasted from the inside.

Somerset County Gazette, 4 March 2010

A man was shot in the foot with an air rifle while out walking his dog in Taunton.  He was taken to hospital for treatment for non life threatening injuries.

Northern Echo, 4 March 2010

A man is claimed to have fired shots at passing cars and pedestrians from a bedroom window in Durham City.  It is believed the weapon involved was an airgun.  One passer-by was hit on the side of the head and another pellet pierced a shopper's carrier bag.

The News (Portsmouth), 4 March 2010

A teenager from Southsea, Hampshire, who claimed he had been forced to sell drugs after having a gun put to his head by a London gang has pleaded guilty to four drug charges.  Dwayne R'Kaloo has been sent to a young offenders' institute for three years.

Manchester Evening News, 4 March 2010

Zachary Gaffey, 18, was armed with a Webley Nemesis air pistol when he robbed a shop in Salford in July 2009.  He was found guilty of robbery and jailed for five years and four months.  A police spokesperson said "Replica guns like the one used are almost indistinguishable from a 'real' gun and whether genuine or fake the fear they cause is very real'.

Evening Gazette, 4 March 2010 *

A court has been told how a sawn-off shotgun was fired into a house in Guisborough, Teesside, in a gang revenge attack in May 2009.  The identity of the gunman is not known.  Two men are charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and violent disorder.  It is alleged they assembled a large group armed with various weapons and finally the loaded firearm.  Douglas Ward and James Errington pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and five others have admitted violent disorder.  James Dawson and Darren Empson have been convicted of violent disorder and Dawson of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence (Evening Gazette, 13 March 2010).  Ward was jailed for four years, Empson for four years, and Dawson for five years and 12 weeks.  Errington received a 15 month sentence (Evening Gazette, 5 May 2010).

Croydon Guardian, 4 March 2010

A man had a gun put against his head when three men tried to steal his car in Norbury, south London.  The men tried to pull him out of his car but were unable to and he then began sounding the horn.  The robbers fled after stealing the victim's wallet and two tool boxes.

Bolton News, 4 March 2010

A man was badly injured as he tried to fight off a gang who burst into the family home in Bradshaw, Lancashire.  The gang were armed with a machete, an axe, a sawn-off shotgun and a handgun.  The family were held at gunpoint before the men fled with a small amount of cash.

Welwyn & Hatfield Times, 3 March 2010

Two roads were cordoned off for four hours in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, during an incident in which a woman claimed she had a gun.  She has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

News Shopper, 3 March 2010

Police seize a cache of weapons when they swooped on a house in Mottingham, south London.  They recovered a sawn-off shotgun, a high calibre hunting rifle, a quantity of ammunition, an air pistol and a large machete.  A man and a teenage woman have been arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, possession of class A drugs and firearms offences.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 3 March 2010

A teenager who was 15 when he carried out a raid on a newsagents in Lockwood, West Yorkshire, in November 2009 (see Incidents) has admitted charges of robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to rob.  He claimed to have been put up to it by another man who gave him the gun.  He has been sent to detention for three years.

Evening Chronicle, 3 March 2010

Anthony Taylor has been jailed for five years after committing two armed robberies, in one of which, at a games shop in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear, in March 2007 (see Incidents), he was armed with an imitation firearm.

Echo, 3 March 2010

A disabled man was threatened and pistol-whipped by a gang who burst into his flat in Southend, Essex, where he was with his brother.  They demanded cash or they would shoot him.

Avon & Somerset Police, 3 March 2010

Five men were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm after a stop and search of a vehicle leaving Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, uncovered a handgun, ammunition and balaclavas.

Wandsworth Guardian, 2 March 2010

Residents in Clapham Junction, south London, have reported seeing a man carry out two armed robberies, at a jewellers and a newsagents.  He is alleged to have pulled a gun on a worker in the newsagents.  However, police have not been able to confirm any details.

This is Derbyshire, 2 March 2010

A fake gun was allegedly brandished during what is thought to have been a bungled burglary at a suspected cannabis factory in Winshill, Staffordshire.  A teenager suffered stab wounds during the incident.  Four people were arrested and one was charged with attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.

The Star, 2 March 2010 *

Andre Hulse fired both barrels of a shotgun over the heads of two innocent anglers because he feared they might be troublemakers.  He had been plagued by burglars and vandals at his cottage in Mexborough, South Yorkshire.  Three legally-held shotguns and a starting pistol were recovered from his house after the incident.  He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and his firearm certificate was cancelled.  He was jailed for two-and-a-half years.  The sentence was cut to 18 months on appeal (The Star, 12 July 2010).

News Shopper, 2 March 2010

Ross Jackson robbed a bookmaker in Penge, South London, in September 2009.  He claimed he had a concealed gun but no weapon was found and police suspect he did not actually have a weapon.  He has admitted robbery and been given a 16 month jail sentence. 

Ledbury Reporter, 2 March 2010

A Brno .22 bolt-action rifle was stolen from a farm near Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Echo, 2 March 2010

Two windows were damaged at apartments in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.  The damage may have been caused by stones or an air rifle.

BBC, 2 March 2010 *

Two men were arrested at a hotel in Kendal, Cumbria, after guests reported seeing a man with a gun.  A Taser was used when one of them refused to cooperate with the police.  Both were arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and one of threats to kill.  Three firearms were found at a house near Kendal (BBC, 3 March 2010).  A man has pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm in a public place (see May 2010 Incidents).

This is Lancashire, 1 March 2010

Haroon Rafiq has been found guilty of possessing a prohibited firearm, a modified .22 rimfire double barrelled over and under Derringer starting pistol with a barrel of less than 30 cm, of possessing prohibited ammunition, cartridges with bullets designed to explode on or immediately after impact and common assault.  He was cleared of threatening to kill a detective sergeant.  The weapons were found at a house in Nelson, Lancashire, in June 2009 (see December 2009 Incidents).  Rafiq said he had a gun to protect his family and land after being shot five times in Barrowford.  He has been told to expect a lengthy sentence.

Oldham Advertiser, 1 March 2010

A woman had a gun held to her throat during a robbery at her home in Oldham, Greater Manchester, by a man who demanded money.  The victim fainted after handing over some cash and jewellery and when she came round he had gone.

Lowestoft Journal, 1 March 2010

A man produced what appeared to be a small handgun during a robbery at a service station in Lowestoft, Suffolk, and took a quantity of cash.

The Herald (Plymouth), 1 March 2010

A man from Southway, Plymouth, has been charged with possessing a stun gun, CS spray and pepper spray, two counts of producing cannabis and assaulting a police officer in September 2009.

Enfield Independent, 1 March 2010

Andrey Trifono was found in possession of a loaded gun capable of shooting pellets of poisonous gas.  Police discovered the weapon, which resembled a loaded revolver, in a car parked at a retail park in Enfield, north London, in which Trifono was asleep in August 2009.  He admitted he had a gun in the boot.  He was found guilty of possessing a prohibited weapon, possession of an air weapon using a self-contained gas cartridge system and possession of prohibited ammunition and given a three year sentence.

BBC, 1 March 2010

Shots were fired near playing fields in Vauxhall, Liverpool.  No one was injured but the police believed it was a targeted attack.  A children's football match was abandoned when the shots rang out (Click Liverpool, 1 March 2010).

BBC, 1 March 2010

Armed robbers threatened a worker at a garage in Southend, Essex, with a knife and hit him with a gun.  He was forced to open the safe and the men made off with about £1000.

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SCOTLAND

Evening Express, 31 March 2010

George McBain from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, has admitted failing to secure a shotgun and ammunition at his home.  He was ordered to pay £300 for each offence.

Ayrshire Post, 26 March 2010

Ross Murphy held an imitation handgun to his girlfriend's head.  His victim was left cowering between a tumble drier and microwave at a house they shared in Mauchline, Ayrshire, in December 2009.  Friends managed to get the gun out of his hand.  The gun did not fire bullets or pellets but made a loud shooting sound and is used to scare birds.  Murphy, a member of the local airgun club, pleaded guilty to shooting, swearing, acting in a threatening manner, brandishing an imitation handgun, placing a woman in a state of fear and alarm and committing a beach of the peace.  He was fined £330 and allowed to walk free.  The sheriff said he was taking note of his early guilty plea and favourable background report.

Scotsman, 24 March 2010

Police have seized a handgun, a shotgun and imitation firearms during a six-month operation targeting organised crime in Edinburgh.

Press Association, 24 March 2010

A man has killed himself after holding a child hostage at gunpoint in Dingwall, Ross-shire, for three hours.  Police had managed to negotiate the child's safe release.  The gunman had abducted the 11-year-old daughter of a former girlfriend and shot himself with a shotgun (The Herald, 25 March 2010).  The man had broken a series of court bans on approaching the girl's mother after previously assaulting her (Highland News, 1 April 2010).

Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser, 24 March 2010

Police responded to two incidents in the same evening.  In the first in Langloan, North Lanarkshire, a minor had fired a BB gun which a police source said is "potentially lethal".  No arrests were made but the police issued warnings.  In the second incident in Coatbridge an armed response unit reacted to a report that someone fired an air rifle at officers attending an earlier incident in the same street.  No one was arrested.

Paisley Daily Express, 18 March 2010

Police have found a number of guns hidden in an attic in Foxbar, Paisley.  The arsenal included a bolt action shotgun, two revolvers and a ball-bearing gun.

Press & Journal, 17 March 2010

A man has been jailed for 16 months after he admitted using a stun gun on another man at a nightclub in Inverness in September 2009.  Donald Stewart used it on his victim's neck.  He pleaded guilty to assaulting the man and to possessing a prohibited weapon in public, contrary to the Firearms Act 1968.

BBC, 17 March 2010

Spencer Henderson has admitted breaching the Customs and Excise Management Act after being arrested at Aberdeen Airport trying to import two stun guns from Thailand.  He was ordered to carry out 240 hours of community service (BBC, 30 March 2010).

BBC, 17 March 2010

A married couple have been found dead at a house in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, after a suspected shooting incident.  The police are not believed to be looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.  It is reported that the man took his double-barrelled shotgun from a locked cabinet and waited for his wife to return from her job.  He shot her and then himself.  It is alleged by one of the man's friends that he had said that "he'd had enough of his wife and was going home to shoot her.  We knew he had a gun licence".

Wee County News, 11 March 2010

A handgun, heroin and stolen goods were seized by police in drugs raids in Clackmannanshire.  The handgun was found hidden under a shed in Tullibody.  Inquiries are ongoing to establish the authenticity of the firearm.  Three people, including two women, have been arrested in connection with drugs offences.

stv, 11 March 2010

Two men armed with a gun and a knife threatened a member of staff at a bookmaker's in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire.  They escaped with hundreds of pounds.

stv, 9 March 2010

A man armed with what is thought to be a gun held up two security guards as they filled up cash machines at St George' Cross, Glasgow.  The guards were forced to had over a five-figure sum.

Scotsman, 8 March 2010

A man has been seriously injured after being shot in the face three times and stabbed in a pub in Edinburgh.  The incident was linked to a long-running feud between two families.  The victim was in a stable condition in hospital.  The police are confident that the weapon was not, as originally reported, an air rifle and that it was discharged once.  (Evening News, 9 March 2010).  One man has been accused of assault with intent to murder and a breach of the Firearms Act 1968 and a second man with assault with intent to murder (BBC, 11 March 2010).

BBC, 4 March 2010

A 16-year-old boy was shot in an airgun attack as he walked along a street in Cardenden, Fife.  He sustained minor injuries.

BBC, 4 March 2010

Mark Noble was caught with two stun guns and nine pepper sprays at Edinburgh Airport when he was travelling back from Thailand.  He admitted having the weapons in his possession and has been ordered to carry out 220 hours of community service.

Greenock Telegraph, 3 March 2010

A man has appeared in court after allegedly being in possession of a firearm and a loaded air weapon at a hotel in Wemyss Bay, Renfrewshire.

Evening News, 3 March 2010

A woman has told a murder conspiracy trial that she stole a Luger-style handgun along with other items from a house in Edinburgh.  The gun was later sold for £150 or £250.   She later contacted the police after hearing that the owners of the gun were after her.

stv, 2 March 2010

A man who shot a walker in the bottom whilst he was aiming his air rifle at a sign has pleaded guilty to recklessly discharging an air rifle and recklessly discharging the air rifle at a vehicle and having an air rifle without a firearms certificate.  During the incident which took place in Edinburgh in September 2009 a shot had cracked the windscreen of a delivery driver's car.  An air rifle, which weapons experts said was powerful enough to require a certificate, was found at the flat of Donovan Saidi, 20, the next day.  Sentencing was deferred.

Evening News, 2 March 2010

A woman was struck in the head and hand by airgun pellets whilst she was out jogging near Haddington, East Lothian.  She saw two vehicles with their windows open with the occupants holding what appeared to be airgun rifles.

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WALES

Daily Post, 27 March 2010

An airgun sniper took shots at children in a school playground in Llanrug, Gwynedd.  Two teenage pupils were injured, one in the chest and one in the leg.

BBC, 24 March 2010

Police found a stun gun, pepper spray and cannabis during a raid in Ringland, Newport.  A man was arrested and then bailed.

Western Telegraph, 22 March 2010

Douglas Hedley from Pembroke Dock, Dyfed, is awaiting sentencing for possessing a shotgun with a shortened barrel.

Daily Post, 19 March 2010

John Forester has admitted wounding and having a firearm in a public place.  He shot a teenage girl in the leg with a pellet whilst she was staying at a campsite near Harlech, Gwynedd, in May 2009.  Forester was camping in the area with friends and had brought the .22 air rifle with telescopic sight with him.  His victim will be permanently scarred.  He was jailed for 50 weeks, suspended for 18 months.  He will undertake 250 hours unpaid work and pay £1500 compensation.  The gun was confiscated and Forester was banned from possessing any air-powered weapon for 18 months.

Reuters, 3 March 2010 *

A 15-year-old boy, found alone in a house in Newport with a single gunshot wound, is in a critical condition in hospital.  A man has been arrested.  It has since been reported that the man is the victim's stepfather.  The police are searching for the weapon, described as 'some kind of handgun' (Western Mail, 4 March 2010).  The boy has made a "miraculous recovery".  A man has admitted cruelty and possession of a prohibited firearm (see May 2010 Incidents).

South Wales Argus, 1 March 2010

Orrie Campbell has been jailed for six years after admitting possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition.  He was arrested in a flat in Newport in November 2009 after a tip-off from a member of the public.  The gun was designed to fire blanks but was classified as a prohibited weapon as it had been modified.

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INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS

Cornishman, 31 March 2010

A man who was found guilty of wilfully killing a badger and using a firearm to kill a badger in Towednack, Cornwall, in 2008 (see Incidents) and had been fined and forfeited his rifle and gun licence has had his conviction overturned.  The appeal ruling found forensic tests matching his rifle to the fatal bullet were inconclusive.

Evening Express, 29 March 2010

A kitten has been shot in an apparent airgun attack in Kincorth, Aberdeen.  A pellet is lodged in her spine and the vet was unable to operate.

The News, 26 March 2010

A cat was almost killed after being shot with an air rifle in Hayling Island, Hampshire.  His owner found him badly injured and a vet noticed a small round hole in his side and removed the pellet.  The cat had probably been shot from above, probably from a second story window.  In December his owner had noticed a similar small bloody mark on another cat and another of his cats turned up in January with a hole in her paw.  He now believes that they too may have been shot.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 26 March 2010

A cat was shot dead with an airgun in the latest in a spate of attacks in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.  The cat's kidney was punctured, and he died despite efforts to save him.  Two weeks earlier a cat who had been missing for two days from his home in Deighton was found with a wound.  The vet could not remove the pellet.  In another incident two months before a cat had been brought to the same surgery with a shattered leg.

Manchester Evening News, 25 March 2010

Two men used a shotgun to shoot a stray sheep which fell into a pit where they were working at Prestbury, Cheshire.  They were putting to animal out of its misery, but then beheaded it and fed it to their ferrets.  Both Peter Harvey and Mark Mellor had admitted criminal damage to a sheep to the value of £170.  Mellor was fined £50 and must pay compensation and costs.  Harvey was given a conditional discharge for that offence, but has now pleaded guilty to eight offences of possessing a prohibited weapon, five counts of converting a firearm and six offences of possessing a firearm without a certificate, and sentencing in that case was adjourned.

Horse and Hound, 24 March 2010

A horse found with facial wounds in East Preston, Sussex, is believed to have been shot with an air rifle.

Herald Express, 23 March 2010

A vet discovered a 5mm air rifle pellet lodged near the spine of a cat who had been shot in Paignton, Devon.  His owner had discovered the cat had been wounded just behind the right front leg and found a big hole.

Wigan Evening Post, 22 March 2010

In the latest of a number of incidents in which cats have been shot in Wigan, Lancashire, a pet from Poolstock had to have a damaged kidney removed and a hole in his gut repaired.  The track of the pellet and the level of its penetration showed that the muzzle of the air rifle was virtually touching the cat when the trigger was pulled.

Melton Times, 19 March 2010

A swan was killed when it was shot through the neck with an airgun on a canal near Bottesford, Leicestershire.  Killing a swan is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 2001 and carries a maximum £5000 fine and/or six months in jail.

Manchester Evening News, 18 March 2010

Two cats have been shot with an air rifle in Davenport, Stockport.  Surgery was needed to remove pellets from both animals.  One was shot in his hind leg, the other in her stomach.

Northumberland Gazette, 12 March 2010

A cat has been shot with an airgun in Alnwick, Northumberland.  A pellet found lodged in its hip was removed by a vet (Northumberland Gazette, 20 March 2010).

This is Gloucestershire, 9 March 2010

A cat has been shot with a shotgun in Stroud, Gloucestershire.  He crawled home wailing with pain and peppered with lead shot.  He suffered a fractured leg and wounds to his chest and back.

Deadlines Scotland, 8 March 2010

The SSPCA has highlighted an appalling case of cruelty encountered by the organisation in 2009.  A tiny Staffie dog was shot in the head 13 times with an airgun in Glasgow by her drunk owner who left her for dead.  The owner was prosecuted and banned from keeping animals and the dog, who survived, was successfully re-homed.

BBC, 8 March 2010

A cat has suffered "appalling" injuries after being shot with an air rifle at close range in Delabole, Cornwall.  He had two limbs shattered in the attack when the pellet hit one of his legs, passed through his stomach and exited through another leg.  It is hoped he will fully recover after being given emergency medical treatment.

Wakefield Express, 5 March 2010

A swan has been shot dead in a third attack in as many weeks in the Wakefield area of West Yorkshire.  The bird was discovered floating in water at Stanley Ferry.  It was found to have a pellet wound to the head, probably caused by an air rifle.  In February another swan was shot dead in Altofts where a group of four men, two dressed in camouflage trousers, were seen shooting the swan in the neck with an air rifle.

The Sun, 5 March 2010

Michael Reed from Rugeley, Staffordshire, shot and killed his neighbour's dog with an air rifle when she strayed on his lawn.  He had been drinking at the time of the incident.  He has admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and been fined £500 and told to pay £500 compensation.  The gun was confiscated.  He says he does not know why he did it.

Gazette & Herald, 5 March 2010

A goshawk was found peppered with shotgun pellets on moorland in Bransdale, North Yorkshire.  It had been shot in flight.  An x-ray confirmed that a pellet had gone through one thigh and another pellet had got into a lung which killed the bird.

Halstead Gazette, 3 March 2010

A buzzard was found with a hole in its wing, thought to have been caused by a shot from an airgun.  It was discovered by a farmer at Wethersfield, Essex.

Fenland Citizen, 3 March 2010

A cat has been shot with what is believed to be an air rifle in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire.  He was wounded on his right thigh.