MARCH
2012
Sentences and Convictions
GCN compiles
an on-going list of incidents involving guns. In this section
are sentences and convictions for court rulings, and the verdicts of
inquests, made this month.
We know that our information
is incomplete. The number of incidents in our lists is between 10
and 15 percent of the total number of firearms offences recorded in Home
Office and Scottish Government figures, though we believe nearly all of
the most serious crimes are being included. Your help in collecting more
information would be greatly appreciated. If you have any information
about an incident please contact us by email
contact@gun-control-network.org.
Please see
our explanation of
why we
highlight incidents involving air weapons.
ENGLAND
Bourne Local,
27
March 2012
Karl
Taylor, 26, and Ashley Sorby, 22 have been jailed for eight years each
after attacking a man in Hartlepool, County Durham. The pair held
an unloaded air rifle to the
victim's head and pulled the trigger, in addition to a series of other
acts of torture. The perpetrators admitted grievous bodily harm and
false imprisonment of the victim, an autistic man who required hospital
treatment after the vicious assault.
Bristol Evening Post,
27
March 2012
Ben
Chivers, 18, has been sentenced to 18 months in youth detention for
possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Chivers
threatened staff at a shop in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset
with a BB gun after being pursued
for apparent theft.
Derby Telegraph,
27
March 2012
Andrew
Price, 21, has been sentenced to eight months in a young offender
institution for possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause
fear of violence. Price brandished a BB gun
out of a car window in Derby before firing the weapon at a
passerby.
BBC News,
26
March 2012
Edward
Heffey, Jason Gabbana and Simon Smart have been jailed for life for the
murder of a man in Liverpool. The victim was shot in the head
with a sawn-off shotgun at a pub he
had been lured to. Heffey was jailed for a minimum of 35 years after
firing the fatal shot; Gabbana was given at least 33 years after
ordering the shooting; and Smart received a minimum of 31 years after
luring the victim to the scene. A fourth conspirator, Brian Regan, was
sentenced to four years and 10 months after being convicted of
perverting the course of justice.
Wiltshire Times,
24
March 2012
Jade
Fenwick, 19, admitted shooting a 15-year-old girl in the eye with a
BB gun in Westbury,
Wiltshire. The attack resulted in the victim having pain and damaged
vision in the eye. Fenwick was ordered to attend aggression and drugs
courses, and she was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and
pay the victim
£100.
Surrey Comet,
24
March 2012
Freddie
Beasley, 19, was jailed for five and a half years after pleading guilty
to two counts of robbery. Beasley was one of nine people alleged to be
working as an organised gang in Battersea, southwest London. The
group has been jailed for a total of 56 years.
Birmingham Mail,
23
March 2012
Ionut
Nicolae and Vasilica Tirei have been jailed for ten and a half years and
nine years, respectively, after being convicted of sex trafficking. A
24-year-old victim was threatened by a gun and 'effectively raped' by
clients over a seven-week period in Birmingham after she was
brought into the country from Romania and forced into prostitution.
St. Helens Star, 23
March 2012
An inquest
determined that a police officer in St. Helens, Merseyside
committed suicide in February 2011 after assaulting another officer he
was having an affair with. He died after shooting himself in the head
with a shotgun.
Harrow Times,
22
March 2012
Glen
Phillips has been jailed for six years for carrying out an armed robbery
in Edgware, north London. He and an accomplice threatened staff
at a bookmakers with a handgun and stole cash. Phillips pleaded guilty
to two counts of robbery as well as firearms and offensive weapon
offences.
Blackpool Gazette,
22
March 2012
Anthony
Wright, 19, Craig Davies, 18, and a 17-year-old admitted carrying out a
robbery in South Shore, Blackpool. Wright threatened a shop
assistant with an imitation handgun
while the other two brandished knives and stole cash and cigarettes.
Wright was also guilty of conspiracy to commit another armed robbery
along with Russell Hickey, 19, who was additionally charged with
possession of drugs with intent to supply.
Lancaster Guardian,
22
March 2012
Liam
Parkinson pleaded guilty to possession of a
stun gun as well as conspiracy to supply drugs. Parkinson's
conviction came as part of a police operation in Lancaster that
resulted in a slew of drugs-related arrests and convictions.
Nottingham Post,
21
March 2012
Vandell
Wright was jailed for seven years after a loaded handgun, ammunition and
drugs were found at his house in Nottingham. Wright pleaded
guilty to possession of a handgun, possession of ammunition without a
certificate and possession of cocaine with intent to supply.
Chad,
21
March 2012
Peter
Charnock was jailed for one and a half months after creating a
stun gun in Mansfield,
Nottinghamshire. He was convicted of possessing a prohibited firearm as
well as handling a stolen laptop and failing to surrender to bail. In
addition to time served, he was given a community order of 12 months.
Cornish Guardian,
21
March 2012
John
Bellman has been given a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty
to possessing an imitation gun, a
knife and drugs in Newquay, Cornwall. Bellman was given a
four-month curfew and his 12-month suspended sentence means he must stay
out of further trouble or will face 22 weeks in jail.
Stourbridge News,
20
March 2012
Ravi
Taware, 21, has been jailed five years and four months after carrying
out an armed robbery at a post office in Stourbridge, West
Midlands. Taware threatened a member of staff with an
imitation handgun but fled
empty-handed. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possessing an
imitation firearm with intent to cause fear.
Lincolnshire Echo,
20
March 2012
Dale
Melling has been jailed for five years after being caught with a
stun gun at his home in Cherry
Willingham, Lincolnshire. Melling, who had been released early from
a four-year jail term for supplying cocaine, was convicted of possessing
a disguised firearm as the taser weapon was disguised as a mobile phone.
Bristol Evening Post,
19
March 2012
Jason
Martin was
jailed for three and a half years after threatening police with a
BB gun in Bristol. Martin,
under the influence of alcohol and drugs, fired pellets at them through
a toilet door before being captured. He pleaded guilty to possessing an
imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
Liverpool Echo,
17
March 2012
A gang
from Merseyside has been convicted of possessing firearms and
causing criminal damage with intent to endanger life. Tony Downes and
Kirk Bradley were sentenced to a minimum of 22 years, Gary Wilson was
jailed for 16 years, Craig Riley was given 14 years and Joseph Farrell
was handed a 12-year sentence. Downes and Bradley previously escaped
prison while in transport (see 20 July of July
Incidents). Downes was recaptured but Bradley remained on the run
until after the trial, when he was located and captured in Amsterdam (Metro,
5 April 2012).
Evening Chronicle,
17
March 2012
Joe
Foster, 20, has been jailed for one year after threatening council
officers with an air pistol in
Throckley, Tyne and Wear. Foster pointed the gun at the three
victims from close range after they discovered a cannabis plant in his
garden, and he then fled with the plant before being captured by police.
He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of
violence.
Nottingham Post,
17
March 2012
James
Wilkinson has been fined and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work
after he threatened a lorry driver with an
imitation gun in Newark, Nottinghamshire. Wilkinson,
an off-duty RAF member at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to
affray and surrendered a BB gun loaded with plastic pellets. He will
face further disciplinary action from the RAF and was also ordered to
pay
£800.
Express and Star,
15
March 2012
Timothy
Francis, 23, has been jailed for seven and a half years after being
convicted of possessing a sawn-off shotgun
and ammunition. Francis, who was on licence from prison after
early release from three attempted armed robberies, was caught with the
illegal weapon and cartridges in Wolverhampton.
Lancashire Telegraph,
14 March 2012
An inquest
found that a man took his own life with a single gunshot wound to the
head in Burnley, Lancashire. Police noted the victim acquired two
handguns and a rifle from his father-in-law, who had been a member of a
gun club and had gun permits. However, the victim did not legally own
the firearms at the time of his death.
Peterborough Today,
13
March 2012
David
Caley and Daniel Robertson have been jailed for seven and a half years
and seven years, respectively, after carrying out an armed robbery in
Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. Caley, who served as the getaway driver,
was convicted of robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Robertson was
sent to a young offenders' institute for the same charges. A third
conspirator was never caught following the robbery.
Derby Telegraph,
12 March 2012
An inquest
heard that a man shot and killed himself in Carsington Water,
Derbyshire. He reportedly killed himself with a
shotgun blast to his torso.
Cambridge News,
12
March 2012
Benjamin
Keady, 20, has been jailed for three years after admitting robbery and
possession of cannabis. Keady and his brother-in-law broke into a house
in Cambridge and threatened a victim with an
airgun. However, the victim grabbed
the gun and stymied the attack. Keady, who already has convictions for
assault occasioning actual bodily harm, wounding, grievous bodily harm,
battery and assaulting a police officer, was caught by police, but the
other perpetrator reportedly escaped and fled back to Jamaica.
Yorkshire Evening Post,
10
March 2012
Afzal Arif,
23, has been found guilty of murdering a man in Chapeltown, Leeds
during the August 2011 riots. Arif shot the victim in the face and neck
with 85 shotgun pellets from a sawn-off shotgun.
Another man, Sohail Mahmood, 23, was found guilty of conspiracy to
pervert the course of justice after he reportedly helped Arif identify
the victim before the shooting.
This is Wiltshire,
9
March 2012
Mathew
Bastin has been given a community order and was released after being
convicted of purchasing two illegal stun guns.
Bastin's home had been raided after police received information that he
had a history of harassing ex-girlfriends and possessed several items
relating to an intent to kidnap. He apparently purchased the second stun
gun days after being arrested for stalking his ex and having a similar
weapon. Bastin, who pleaded guilty to two counts of buying or acquiring
prohibited weapons, will not serve jail time but cannot enter Surrey or
leave the country for three years.
Portsmouth News,
8
March 2012
Paul Birch
and Tegwen Owen have been jailed for three and a half years each after
being caught running a cannabis factory in Gosport, Hampshire.
Police that raided their home recovered shotgun
cartridges in addition to the drugs.
Your Local Guardian,
8
March 2012
Awhan
Edani has been jailed for two and a half years after threatening two
victims at gunpoint in their home in Surbiton, southwest London.
Edani used the internet to pose as a buyer for two mobile phones and
pulled the gun when the sellers invited him to their home. Edani was
convicted of two counts of robbery and one of possession of a firearm or
imitation firearm.
Cambridge News,
8
March 2012
Chris
Boulton pleaded guilty to possessing a stun gun in Saffron Walden,
Essex. Boulton's punishment for keeping the prohibited firearm was a
fine of
£200.
Southwark News,
8
March 2012
Joel Miles
has been jailed for five years after being caught with a loaded
sawn-off shotgun in Rotherhithe,
southeast London. Miles was also caught with ammunition, CS gas and
drugs.
Wharf,
7
March 2012
Jeffrey
Anamo, 21, has been jailed for 10 years after being caught with a loaded
shotgun and drugs. Anamo was caught
in Beckton, east London with the loaded gun, cartridges and body
armour, while police also found heroin in his home.
Asian Image,
7
March 2012
Stephen
Bell, 24, and Ryan Baker, 19, have been jailed for seven and a half
years and seven years, respectively, after threatening a man at gunpoint
in Bradford. Police arrested the men for the robbery and found a
cache including a sawn-off shotgun,
ammunition and a loaded pistol. Bell admitted illegal possession of the
weapons while both men pleaded guilty to robbery.
Gloucestershire Echo,
7
March 2012
Steven
Jones has been jailed for two years and two months for possessing a
stun gun and drugs. Police raided
Jones' home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and recovered the
illegal weapon in addition to a large quantity of cocaine.
Hackney Hive,
7
March 2012
Anthony
Malone and Ranjit Gorja have been found guilty of kidnapping and
torturing two victims in Stoke Newington, east London. Malone, an
ex-para trooper who fled to Afghanistan and was extradited back to the
UK, was convicted of two counts of kidnap, two counts of false
imprisonment and two counts of actual bodily harm. Gorja was convicted
of two counts of actual bodily harm. Gorja and the ex-soldier Malone
brutally attacked the victims in a number of ways including threatening
one victim with what he believed was a gun.
Western Morning News,
6 March 2012
Craig Lane
has been given a community order for criminal damage, possession of an
air rifle and possession of a
pickaxe handle after he attacked a car belonging to his ex-partner's new
boyfriend. Lane was carrying the air rifle when he smashed a window of
the car. He was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.
Kensington and Chelsea
Chronicle,
6
March 2012
James
Reynolds has been given an 18-month community service order after
admitting possession of a firearm. Reynolds was seen in public with a
gun before police caught him with an airgun,
CS gas and a blade in Notting Hill, west London. He admitted
possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of an offensive weapon.
Bradford and District Advertiser,
6
March 2012
Andrew
Hunter pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded
shotgun in a public place. Hunter carried the weapon into a
street in Baildon, West Yorkshire, where he was seen by a member
of the public who said she then heard two shots fired.
Sunderland Echo,
5
March 2012
Anthony
Schofield has been jailed for 12 months after admitting theft of
airguns. Schofield stole air pistols
from a garden centre in Murton, County Durham to pay off a drugs
debt.
Sheffield Telegraph,
5
March 2012
Mandy
Mottram has been given a conditional discharge after admitting
possessing a shotgun without a
certificate in Staveley, Derbyshire. Mottram found the gun left
by her ex-partner and tried to sell it, before police were contacted
since she did not have a firearms certificate.
Staffordshire Newsletter,
3 March 2012
An inquest
determined that a man took his own life with a
shotgun in Bishops Offley, Staffordshire. Although the
victim's family suggested the death could have been an accident since
the victim regularly carried the gun without the safety, the
investigation determined the shooting was intentional.
Metro,
2
March 2012
Nathan
Hamilton has been convicted of manslaughter after killing his friend, a
17-year-old victim, in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Hamilton
accidentally shot the boy in the chest with a
shotgun, and the victim was unable to recover after being
rushed to hospital.
Daily Express,
2
March 2012
Patrick
Doyle, 71, has been given a 12-week suspended sentence for causing
unnecessary suffering after shooting a cat from close range with an
air rifle. Doyle baited the animal
into a cage because it was digging up his garden in Bedfordshire.
He then shot it and left it thrashing about the cage before a neighbour
finally freed it.
Eastbourne Herald,
1 March 2012
An inquest
heard that a depressed man killed himself with a
shotgun in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The victim
reportedly had a gun licence that was suspended in 2010 but given back
to him. He was found with fatal head injuries at his home in August
2011.
BBC News,
1
March 2012
John
Otugade, 19, Christopher N'Jie, 19, and Errol Jeffrey, 29, have been
found guilty of murder after they shot a bouncer in north London.
The victim had angered the assailants by refusing to allow a group to
enter the club where he worked; three weeks later, they shot the victim
twice in the head outside his house.
Yorkshire Evening Post,
1
March 2012
Adrian
Robertson has been jailed for seven years after police recovered a
handgun, ammunition and drugs from his home in Leeds. Robertson
pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited firearm, two offences of
possessing expanding ammunition, and two further drugs charges.
The Advertiser,
1
March 2012
Glen
Graham has been jailed for six years after a firearm from his gun
collection turned up at the scene of a crime in County Durham.
The weapon was a modified sawn-off shotgun
which Graham illegally kept along with ammunition and rifle components.
West Briton,
1
March 2012
Ricci
Harvey, 21, has been jailed for five years for possessing an
imitation gun in Cornwall.
Police had recovered the weapon from his home along with a blank
cartridge.
Daily Echo,
1
March 2012
Kieran
Bunday, 24, has been jailed for three years after he threatened a boy
with an air rifle and knife and
raped him in Bournemouth. Bunday was found guilty of four charges
of rape, two of sexual assault, two of causing a person to engage in
sexual activity without consent and one of indecency with a child.
Somerset Standard,
1
March 2012
Scott Doel
has been jailed for three years and Lloyd Jones for two years and eight
months after the pair each shot someone with an
airgun in Somerset. Both men fired shots from the
weapon, striking the victim in his back and his right eye. Hospital
treatment was unsuccessful in salvaging the victim's sight in the
affected eye. Doel and Jones pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily
harm and possessing a firearm while committing an offence. Doel also
admitted common assault.
Express and Star,
1
March 2012
Christopher Loveridge has been jailed for one year and nine months for
possessing a prohibited weapon in Wolverhampton, West Midlands.
Police recovered a stun gun after
raiding Loveridge's home and charged him with possessing the illegal
firearm.
Blackburn Citizen,
1
March 2012
Pawel
Szymczak has been jailed for one year and four months after admitting
possession of an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of cannabis.
Szymczak brandished an imitation handgun five times to members of the
public in Blackburn, Preston.
SCOTLAND
BBC News,
21
March 2012
Shane
McGrath has been jailed for four years and four months after
accidentally shooting and killing a family friend in Paisley.
McGrath pleaded guilty to culpable homicide after he fired a
shotgun at a 21-year-old victim,
fatally shooting him in the chest.
Shetland News,
7
March 2012
Roderick
Nicolson has been given a community order after threatening to raid an
oil terminal with a shotgun in
Shetland. Nicolson, an apparent shotgun owner who argued in court
that he suffers from mental illness, has been diagnosed with depression
and misunderstood the seriousness of this threat as well as a previous
threat he made, was ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work.
Edinburgh Evening News,
2
March 2012
Christopher Petterson admitted assaulting two women by brandishing an
imitation firearm. He and another
armed man threatened the victims in Edinburgh and stole cash.
Petterson was caught after he looked at a security camera and was
recognised by police.
Scottish Sun,
1
March 2012
Mo
Siddique, Tencho Andonov and Deyan Nikolov were convicted of murder
after Siddique ordered the execution of his brother in Fife. He
paid the others to carry out the murder, while Andonov, who pulled the
trigger on the fatal blast that killed Siddique's brother, was also
convicted of a attempted murder of a second man also present. Mo
Siddique was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years, Andonov for at least 29
years and Nikolov for at least 18 years (Stirling
Observer, 28 March 2012).
WALES
South Wales Argus,
1
March 2012
Connor
Davies, 18, has been jailed for one year and four months for inflicting
grievous bodily harm after he shot a 12-year-old boy with an
airgun in Newport. Davies
shot at the victim from his bedroom window and hit him in the eye with a
pellet, permanently removing most visibility.
