MAY 2009
We prepare
a monthly summary of gun incidents, focussing on those that raise key
issues about the nature of gun crime and the adequacy of gun legislation.
Items that have been amended or added to the list since the
Summary was written are marked (*).
ENGLAND
BBC,
31
May 2009
Staff at a betting shop in
North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, were threatened by a man with a gun but
told him the cash had already been banked. A man has been arrested
on suspicion of attempted robbery and released on police bail.
BBC,
31
May 2009
A man is to be questioned
about suspected firearms offences after being arrested following an
incident in Albrighton, Shropshire. Police who went to the
scene found the man "co-operative and not in possession of a firearm"
after being alerted by the public.
BBC,
31
May 2009
A woman fled a flat in
Weymouth, Dorset, with her baby after claiming her husband had a gun.
Armed officers and negotiators arrived at the home and persuaded the man
to give himself up after about three hours. An
air rifle and shotgun
were seized. A man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to
kill. Martyn Hannaford has been ordered to keep the peace and to pay
£500 for breaching a previous order to keep the peace. He had
returned home drunk and his wife overheard him say he had an air rifle and
was going to shoot the baby then her (Dorset Echo, 2 June 2009).
Liverpool Echo,
30
May 2009 *
Darryn Brooks has been jailed
for six-and-a-half years after two lethal weapons were found at his home
in Toxteth, Liverpool. Firearms officers discovered a loaded
.22 semi-automatic pistol, a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition in January
2009. He admitted housing the weapons after being pressured because
of a drug debt.
Huddersfield Daily
Examiner,
30
May 2009 *
An
air rifle was stolen along with a watch and cash from a
property in Almondbury, West Yorkshire.
The Sentinel,
29
May 2009 *
A man has been accused of
possession of an air rifle while being
sentenced to three years' detention in a young offenders' institute and
with a similar offence involving possession of ammunition for a firearm.
The offences were carried out in January 2009 in Chesterton,
Staffordshire. The case was adjourned until June.
Louth Leader,
29
May 2009
A 16-year-old armed with a
gas-powered air pistol pointed the
replica Colt 45 pistol at a taxi driver in Mablethorpe,
Lincolnshire, in December 2008. The youth was accompanied by Ryan
Harrop, 18, who was brandishing a samurai sword. The younger man
admitted robbery and possessing a firearm, and Harrop pleaded guilty to
robbery and possessing a bladed article. Both were sentenced to four
years youth detention. A fellow taxi driver who raced to the scene
and apprehended the gunman was awarded £250 by the judge.
Lincolnshire Echo,
29
May 2009 *
Seven
airguns were stolen from
a house in Lincoln. The weapons taken were two Webley Scott Junior
air pistols, a Webley Tempest air pistol, a Sheridan Benjamin gas operated
air pistol, a CB40 Crossman gas operated air pistol, a Webley Scott air
rifle and a Day State gas operated bolt action air rifle.
BBC,
28
May 2009
A man has admitted himself to
hospital with gunshot wounds following reports of shots being fired on a
street in Haughton Green, Manchester. He was treated for a
chest wound but his injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
BBC,
28
May 2009
A man with a firearm, which
may have been an imitation gun, raided
a bank in Gillingham, Kent. He took an undisclosed amount of
cash at gunpoint.
North West Evening Mail,
27
May 2009
Two men are on bail after they
allegedly used an air rifle to shatter
a window at a home in the centre of Barrow, Cumbria. They
were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
BBC,
27
May 2009
A man has been shot in the
stomach in Stoke Aldermoor, Coventry. A
shotgun was fired from a vehicle which
had been stolen in Leicestershire. The victim was in a stable
condition in hospital.
BBC,
27
May 2009
Two men were shot, one in the
chest and one in the back, in an incident in Handsworth,
Birmingham. The victim with the chest injury was said to be in a
critical condition, the other was stable. Two men have been arrested
on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.
This is West Country,
26
May 2009
Windows are being smashed and
tyres deflated by someone armed with an air rifle
in Ashton, Cornwall. A teenager has been seen with an air
rifle,
and police want information from people living in the village over who
might have access to such a weapon.
Independent,
26
May 2009 *
In the latest of a number of
incidents in Luton, Bedfordshire, a man was shot at a nightclub.
The victim was in a critical condition in hospital. Four people,
including a teenage woman, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted
murder. A man has now been charged with attempted murder, causing
grievous bodily harm, firearm possession and dangerous driving (BBC,
11 November 2009).
Henley Standard,
26
May 2009
A couple walking home in
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, were confronted by a woman wielding a
gun, believed to have been a BB gun.
Police were called and the woman was arrested on suspicion of possession
of an offensive weapon.
East London Advertiser,
26
May 2009
Police found a man with a
gunshot wound when they were called to an incident in Hackney, east
London. He had been wounded with a shotgun.
He remains in hospital where his condition is critical but stable.
BBC,
26
May 2009
Five men carrying a crowbar
and possibly two handguns hit a security guard and tied him up
during an attempted robbery at a garden centre near Rugby,
Warwickshire. The men tried to steal the safe but it proved to be
too big and the offenders drove off in the security guard's car.
BBC,
26
May 2009 *
A man was in a critical
condition after being shot as he left a property in Slough,
Berkshire. The attacker, who was carrying a handgun, fled the scene.
Police officers believe the shooting was targeted. Two men were arrested
but both were later released without charge. A £10,000 reward has
been offered for information leading to conviction of the person
responsible (BBC, 24 September
2009).
BBC,
26
May 2009 *
A man found seriously injured
in an alleyway in Nottingham city centre died from a gunshot wound.
Police said an "altercation" had earlier broken out in a nightclub in the
city. Four men and two women have been arrested on suspicion of
murder, and a man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of assisting
an offender (BBC, 3 June 2009). Three men have been charged
with murder (BBC, 6 June 2009).
BBC,
24
May 2009
Two men brandishing handguns
threatened a lone female member of staff at a shop in Flint Hill,
County Durham. They took the contents of the till.
Northern Echo,
23
May 2009
Police, who responded to an
anonymous call stating that a man had possession of a firearm and
ammunition, believe it to have been a hoax after they searched a property
in Darlington and found nothing.
Huddersfield Daily
Examiner,
23
May 2009 *
A window pane was damaged by
pellet type missiles fired from an air weapon
or similar in Netherthong, West Yorkshire.
Derby Evening Telegraph,
23
May 2009
In September 2008 Ashley
Peters stopped his car in the middle of a road in Draycott, Derby,
and walked to the vehicle behind, gesturing to the driver to get out and a
have a fight. He went back to his vehicle, picked up an
air rifle with a telescopic sight and
aimed it at the car. Peters was jailed for two years and five months
after he admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause
fear of violence. He said there was no ammunition in the rifle.
When he was arrested he initially claimed to have been holding a broom. Peters
already had a conviction for assault and criminal damage.
BBC,
23
May 2009
A man
being held under suspicion of terror offences was initially arrested in
Batley, West Yorkshire, under the Firearms Act.
BBC,
23
May 2009
Seven youths armed with
a shotgun threatened motorists waiting
at temporary traffic lights in Winson Green, Birmingham, and stole
a car.
Loughborough News,
22
May 2009
Imran Khalifa had pleaded
guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition and has been
jailed for a total of eight years. His car was stopped by police in
Loughborough, Leicestershire, in December 2008, and when firearms
officers searched the vehicle they found a semi-automatic pistol under the
front passenger seat and ammunition. A small knife and cannabis were
recovered.
Harrogate Advertiser,
22
May 2009
A drunken man who could not
afford to pay for his shopping at a store in Bilton, North
Yorkshire, threatened to fetch a shotgun
if staff wouldn't let him take it home. He was arrested at home.
This is Total Essex,
21
May 2009
Two men have been charged with
a string of drug and firearms offences after a discovery at a home in
Laindon, Essex. One of the men has been charged with possessing
ammunition for a firearm without a certificate and possessing a weapon for
the discharge of noxious gases amongst other charges.
Reading Evening Post,
21
May 2009
A man and a woman from
Whitley, Berkshire, have been charged with cultivating cannabis at
their home and handling stolen goods, including an
air rifle worth £600.
BBC,
21
May 2009
A man has been arrested on
suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson and possession of a firearm after
a number of incidents in the Sefton area of Merseyside.
Officers had recovered a handgun, silencer and three magazines.
BBC,
21
May 2009
An 18-year-old has been
arrested on suspicion of firearms offences. Police officers spotted
two men acting suspiciously in Longsight, Manchester, and one of
them was seen throwing a handgun before the pair ran off.
This is Plymouth,
20
May 2009
Vandals caused thousands of
pounds worth of damage when ten cars were targeted in Honicknowle,
Plymouth. In one incident dents caused by a
ball bearing gun were found in the back
door of one car.
Southend Standard,
20
May 2009 *
Brian Wall has been found
guilty of shooting a commuter who went to the aid of a female security guard who
was being robbed at the railway station in Rayleigh, Essex, in May
2007 (see Incidents).
Wall was found guilty of committing grievous bodily harm with intent,
conspiracy to commit robberies between September 2006 and April 2008 and
conspiracy to possess firearms for these attacks. The jury failed to
reach a verdict on two others accused who were charged with conspiracy to
commit armed robberies and conspiracy to possess firearms. A retrial
was ordered by the judge (Southend Standard, 21 May 2009).
Wall has been jailed for at least 12 years (BBC, 18 June 2009).
Terry Smith has been jailed for a minimum of 12 years after being found
guilty of masterminding a series of violent raids including the one at
Rayleigh. Another man was cleared of charges of conspiracy to rob
and conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to commit robberies (Guardian,
26 February 2010).
Mirror,
20
May 2009
A gang of girls allegedly held
up a woman at gunpoint near Hyde Park in London. They
demanded the victim "give us your money", then handed it back saying it
was a joke, but one pulled out a ball bearing gun,
aimed it at the victim and pulled the trigger. One girl, aged 16,
has been charged with robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence. Three other women, two of whom are
teenagers, have been bailed pending further inquiries.
BBC,
20
May 2009
A man suffered head injuries
when he was attacked with a crowbar by men who threatened to shoot him and
then stole his car. The victim was parking his car in Bulkington,
Warwickshire, at the time of the attack.
BBC,
20
May 2009
A 16-year-old has been
arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a fully loaded,
pump action shotgun. The gun was
found on the central reservation in Huyton, Merseyside. Two
youths were spotted behaving strangely in the area.
BBC,
20
May 2009
Two teenagers have been
arrested in connection with an armed robbery after a shopkeeper in
Wednesfield, West Midlands, was threatened with a gun. Two
people demanded money but left the store empty handed.
BBC,
20
May 2009
Bobby Speirs has been
convicted of conspiracy to murder. He arranged to murder a man at a
pub in Salford in March 2006 (see
Incidents). Two gunmen, Richard
Austin and Carlton Alveranga, entered the pub and started shooting,
severely injuring two men one of whom was a rival of Speirs. The
gunmen were themselves attacked and shot dead with their own weapons.
Speirs had recruited Ian McLeod who provided the gunmen. McLeod was
jailed for life in March 2007. Constance Howarth was also given a
life sentence at the same trial as McLeod. Speirs has been jailed
for life and must serve at least 23 years (BBC, 21 May 2009).
Northampton Chronicle &
Echo, 19
May 2009
The prosecution of a suspected
armed robber has been formally closed following his apparent suicide in
prison. The man was accused of aggravated burglaries in the
Northampton area, robberies and possession of an
imitation firearm. He had denied
the charges but was in prison awaiting sentence for drugs and bail
offences.
Mirror, 19
May 2009
A group of youths, some as
young as 10 and led by a woman, threw eggs and fired an
airgun at an Asian neighbour in
Gravesend, Kent. The victim had previously lodged a complaint to
police about a racially-aggravated assault. Matthew Beck, 17, who
fired the gun was given community service and supervision. The court
found that the youths had been encouraged by Helen Forster who was given a
10 months suspended sentence and was also given community service and
supervision.
Manchester Evening
News, 19
May 2009 *
A van driver was shot in the
leg and arm by pellets fired from an air rifle
as he made a bread delivery in Atherton, Lancashire. He was
left with minor wounds. Two men and a teenage woman are being
questioned by the police. Two men have been sent to jail for nine
months (see February 2010
Incidents).
Harrogate Advertiser, 19
May 2009
A man wielding a handgun
threatened staff at a fast food outlet in Knaresborough, North
Yorkshire, before running off with an amount of cash.
Devon 24, 19
May 2009
Travellers who set up home in
a field in Sidmouth, Devon, have left local residents "frightened"
and "traumatised". The residents have described seeing them,
among other things, brandish an air rifle
with a telescopic sight.
Derby Evening
Telegraph, 19
May 2009
A golfer was shot with an
air rifle while playing a round of golf
in Sinfin, Derby. He was hit by a pellet on the hip. In
a second incident in Sinfin Moor a 15-year-old boy was shot twice
in the leg.
BBC, 19
May 2009
Three handguns, cash and drugs
were seized by police following a series of raids in east Lancashire.
Addresses were raided in Blackburn, Oswaldtwistle and
Accrington. Four men and two women were arrested on suspicion of
drug offences and a teenager has been charged with drug and firearm
offences (BBC, 20 May 2009).
BBC, 19
May 2009 *
A man has died after being
found with gun injuries in Croydon, south London. Police were
called to the scene after reports of shots being fired. It is
believed that the shooting was a revenge attack for a previous incident
and followed recent tit-for-tat shootings in the area (This is Local
London, 19 May 2009). Two men who are on trial deny murder (Local
Guardian, 2 February 2010).
Stourbridge News, 18
May 2009
Dean Pedley has failed in a
test case bid to overturn an open-ended sentence given to him in September
2005 after he had admitted robbery and possession of a firearm. He
was one of three men who raided a van delivery cash to a service station
in Kingswinford, West Midlands, stealing £12,000. Pedley was
armed with a .38 Magnum revolver which he fired in the air.
Malvern Gazette,
18 May 2009
Philip Dudson entered a shop
in Malvern Link, Worcestershire, carrying a
replica Colt 45. He was ordered
outside by the shop assistant and was arrested two days later when police
found the replica gun and a double-barrelled
shotgun stolen by Dudson from an office in Alfrick.
Dudson pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and theft of a shotgun and was
jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Kent Online,
18 May 2009 *
Police disarmed a man armed
with a BB gun and knife in a
confrontation in Tenterden, Kent. The police had been called
after reports of a man acting suspiciously. A man has admitted
possession a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, having a
bladed article and damaging property (see
September 2009 Incidents).
Gazette, 18
May 2009
Cameron Howe, 18, fired an
air rifle at a van which was parked
outside the owner's house in Earls Colne, Essex. He admitted
he had behaved recklessly but said the incident was an accident. He
had acquired the gun that day, swapping it for a car amplifier. He
had only ever used an air rifle once before. He was ordered to pay
£100 in compensation and £60 in court costs.
This is Croydon Today, 17
May 2009
Police in Croydon,
south London, were called out to 20 incidents involving firearms in less
than a month. Three incidents took place in Thornton Heath in
April 2009. In one a 15-year-old boy was shot in the face, in
another a 20-year-old suffered gunshot wounds and following the third
shooting, which was included in GCN's list (see
Incidents), a man may never be able to
see again.
This is Derbyshire, 16
May 2009
Ian Gibson and Tracey Wood
burst into a shop in Allenton, Derby, in February 2009, armed with
an airgun which was pointed at a shop
worker. The shop owner wrestled with Gibson, sustaining serious
facial injuries, until police arrived and arrested him. Wood
returned to throw a brick through the window, was chased by police and was
seen to drop the gun behind a fence. Both men have pleaded guilty to
attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm and asked for a
total of 23 other offences to be taken into consideration. Both were
jailed for seven years for attempted robbery and three years concurrently
for possession of the imitation gun. The recorder ordered the
destruction of the gun.
Swindon Advertiser, 16
May 2009
Among a series of anti-social
activities in Pinehurst, Swindon, a couple found an
airgun pellet had gone through their
kitchen window. The police have been criticised by a relative for
failing to respond.
This is Croydon Today, 15
May 2009
A 15-year-old has been
arrested after he was found in possession of a
sawn-off shotgun in South Norwood, south London.
It is believed that the gun was loaded at the time.
Sunderland Echo, 15
May 2009
Shocked staff called the
police after a customer showed off a .177 calibre
BB gun in a pub in Sunderland in
November 2008. Derek Bamford, who also had a butterfly knife and a
lock knife, failed to comply with instructions when police arrived and was
tasered. He has admitted possessing the weapons in public and been
sentenced to 51 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years with 12 months
supervision.
Newham Recorder,
15 May 2009
A road in East Ham,
east London, was sealed off after reports were made to police that a man
had been shot with an air rifle.
There was evidence of blood in the area on a pavement but it was
reported that one man had received minor injuries in a minor incident.
BBC,
15 May 2009
A man and a woman have been
arrested in relation to firearms offences. The man was also
arrested in connection with an attempted robbery in Bedworth,
Warwickshire, which was separate from the firearm offences.
BBC,
15 May 2009
A man was shot with what has
been described by police as a BB gun.
He was cutting through a park near Basingstoke, Hampshire.
The shot caused swelling to his face.
Oxford Mail, 14
May 2009
A 16-year-old suffered minor
injuries when he was shot with an airgun
during a mass brawl in the centre of Oxford. Earlier two
people were robbed in Jericho, Oxford, by two youths, one of whom
was armed with an airgun. A
17-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault.
Northants Evening Telegraph,
14 May 2009
Eyewitnesses described
seeing a man, wielding an axe and what appeared to be an
air rifle, preventing firefighters from
tackling a fire which had taken hold in a house in Kettering.
A man has been charged after a suspected arson attack.
Berrow's Worcester
Journal,
14 May 2009
An 8-year-old girl was shot in
the eye with a BB gun whilst she was
in a park in Worcester with her brother and a friend. Her
brother was also hit in the head. Police officers called to the
scene found the boy responsible but the victims' mother decided to take no
action. She has called for a ban on the sale of BB guns.
BBC,
14 May 2009
A man has been charged with
possession of firearms with intent to cause fear of violence and another
is being questioned by police after armed police were called to reports of
a man with a gun in Luton, Bedfordshire. Police recovered a
firearm, cash and a substance thought to be cocaine.
West Sussex County Times,
13 May 2009
An
airgun pellet was fired at a bus in Southwater, West
Sussex, shattering one of the windows. A small number of passengers
were on board.
Teletext,
13 May 2009 *
Police found heroin and a
stun gun during a raid in
Hartlepool. Three men and a woman were arrested. A man and
a woman have pleaded guilty to drugs offences, and the man also pleaded
guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon (see
November 2009 Incidents).
Market Rasen Mail,
13 May 2009 *
A window was damaged in the
High Street of Caistor, Lincolnshire, probably by an
air weapon.
Liverpool Echo,
13 May 2009
A cul-de-sac in Allerton,
Liverpool, was sealed off by police after shots were fired at a house.
In another incident in Merseyside at least four shots were fired at a
house in Huyton.
Liverpool Echo,
13 May 2009
A man has claimed that two
gunmen on motorbikes aimed a gun at him as he drove along a coastal road
in Southport, Merseyside. It appeared to have been part of an
ongoing attempt to extort money from him.
Harrow Observer,
13 May 2009
A 19-year-old is in hospital
suffering from a bullet wound to his leg after a shooting outside a
community centre in Stonebridge, north west London. Police
had been called after reports of a gunshot being fired.
BBC,
13 May 2009 *
A man is wanted in connection
with five robberies in which victims were threatened with a handgun.
The robberies have happened on buses in Erdington and Sutton
Coldfield in the West Midlands. A man has pleaded guilty to various
charges of robbery, attempted robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm with intent to cause
fear or violence and been jailed for five-and-a-half years (see
October 2009 Incidents).
BBC,
13 May 2009
A man armed with a handgun
grabbed money from the till at a petrol station in Aylesbury,
Buckinghamshire. He visited 20 minutes earlier to buy milk.
BBC,
13 May 2009
A woman was threatened with a
small black handgun by a mugger who tried to grab her handbag in the
Vange area of Basildon, Essex. The woman screamed and the
assailant ran off empty-handed.
Winsford Guardian,
12 May 2009
Craig Batin has been jailed
for 12 months after pleading guilty to possession of
air rifles, racially aggravated
harassment, possession of a stun gun
and possession of amphetamines. He had been banned from possessing
firearms for life after a previous conviction. The weapons were
found during two raids on his former home in Winsford, Cheshire, in
September and November 2008.
Daily Mail,
12 May 2009
A report into the death of
Private Geoff Gray, who was found dead at Deepcut barracks, Surrey,
in September 2001, suggests he was shot by somebody else, according to his
parents. A Board of Inquiry investigation report has been released
but the contents cannot be revealed.
BBC,
12 May 2009
Twenty dangerous
paintball guns and explosives have been
stolen from a company in Harewood Forest, Hampshire. Thieves
forced open a storage unit and made off with a range of replica weaponry
and ammunition.
BBC,
12 May 2009
A woman was shot with an
air rifle as she filled up her car with
petrol at a supermarket in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire. The
woman's stomach was punctured by the pellet and she was taken to hospital
after the attack.
BBC,
12 May 2009
A man was injured in the hand
by a single shot fired outside a store in Peterborough. The
police have said that the victim was targeted by his attackers. The
man was taken to hospital for treatment.
BBC,
12 May 2009
A woman has been shot in the
leg at a house in Greenbank, Liverpool. She was taken to
hospital. Her injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
BBC,
12 May 2009
A man was shot dead by police
in a siege at a house in Shildon, County Durham. An armed
team had been sent out after officers responding to 999 calls reported
that a crossbow had been fired.
Rochdale Online,
11 May 2009
A taxi driver fended off
would-be robbers who pressed a pistol to his head and tried to strangle
him in Heywood, Greater Manchester. The driver had picked up
to two men earlier. The men ran off empty handed.
Moortown Today,
11 May 2009
A man is in a stable condition
after he was shot in Moortown, Leeds. He was confronted by
masked men. A man and a teenage woman, who was later released, were
arrested in connection with the incident.
We are grateful to a correspondent for
alerting us to this incident
Guardian (Epping
Forest, Waltham Forest, Wanstead & Woodford),
11 May 2009
A man has spent 11 days in
hospital after being shot at point blank range in Leytonstone,
north east London. The gunman approached him after getting involved
in a fight.
Birmingham Mail,
11 May 2009
A man was seriously ill in
hospital after he was shot outside a gym in Highgate, Birmingham.
He was hit in the chest in a drive-by shooting. Witnesses said they
heard five shots as well as the sound of car tyres squealing.
We are grateful to a correspondent for
alerting us to this incident
BBC,
11 May 2009
Ronald Higgins has been
detained under the Mental Health Act after he admitted shooting dead a
shopkeeper in Huyton, Liverpool, in May 2008 (see
Incidents).
Higgins suffered from a "major mental illness" and a "morbid fascination"
with serial killers. He had pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the
grounds of diminished responsibility. He also admitted attempted
robbery, possessing a .44 calibre Pietta muzzle loading revolver and other
firearms offences.
BBC,
11 May 2009 *
A 16-year-old boy has died
after being shot in the head in the car park of a pub in Stretford,
Greater Manchester. Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder but
have been released, but another man remains in custody. It has been
revealed that the victim had been shot in the leg three years ago. A
man and a teenager have pleaded not guilty to murder, three counts of
attempted murder and two counts of possessing firearms and ammunition with
intent to endanger life. The man has also denied possessing an
imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and two counts of
perverting the course of justice. Another teenager has pleaded not
guilty to possessing a prohibited firearm and two counts of possessing
ammunition without a firearms certificate (Manchester Evening News,
9 October 2009). At their trial it was claimed that one of the
alleged gunmen had visited the same pub seven nights before and a man was
threatened with what appeared to be a handgun (Fleetwood Weekly News,
26 February 2010). Two of the defendants have also denied possessing
an imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence (Manchester Evening News, 26 February 2010).
BBC,
10 May 2009
Four people were injured
during three incidents involving firearms in West Derby,
Merseyside. In the first incident three people were injured when two
people on a motorbike fired shots at a pub. The same men fired at a
second pub. In a separate incident at another pub a security guard
was shot in the leg by a man on a motorbike. There is currently no
clear motive for the shootings. One man has been arrested in
connection with the shootings (BBC, 12 May 2009).
Norwich Evening News,
9 May 2009
A 16-year-old boy has been
given a 10 month sentence and will serve a minimum of five months in a
young offenders' institution after pleading guilty to causing actual
bodily harm and possessing a firearm. He shot a woman in the face
with an air rifle as she was paying a
visit to a friend's house in Norwich in November 2008. She
sustained horrible bruises and had to spend two days in hospital.
The youth aimed the gun at her from the back bedroom window of a house.
This is Gloucestershire,
8 May 2009
Benjamin Milson, 18, who fired
a 12-bore shotgun from his parents'
bungalow in Up Hatherley, Gloucestershire, during a drunken party,
has been given a nine months custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months,
and given 200 hours of unpaid work and an electronically tagged curfew for
six months. He must have nothing to do with guns. He could
have killed his friend when he twice fired the shots. He admitted
having a firearm with intent to cause his friend to believe unlawful
violence would be used against him, but a not guilty verdict was recorded
for the charge of actual bodily harm.
Evening Star,
8 May 2009
The windows of eight shops
were shattered on an estate in Ipswich. Detectives believe
the damage could have been caused by a BB gun.
BBC,
8 May 2009
A man was shot dead by armed
police at a block of retirement homes in Fernhurst, West Sussex.
The police had been called after reports that a man was in possession of
a gun. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it was
investigating the case. It has been reported that the dead man
used to go shooting and "had a firearms certificate so it was all
licensed and above board". It is thought he was upset that his
sick wife was facing going into a nursing home (BBC, 9 May 2009).
It is now believed that a Colt handgun found at the scene had been fired
four times and that a bullet found in a firearms officer's protective
vest would not have come from a police gun. The man who died was a
member of a local rifle club (BBC, 11 May 2009).
Skegness Standard,
7 May 2009
An
air pistol, air pellets and telescopic sights were stolen
from an unlocked garage in Skegness, Lincolnshire.
Lowestoft Journal,
7 May 2009
Matthew Sleightholme was
arrested after firing a pellet from an air rifle
in a car park in Halesworth, Suffolk. He bought the weapon on
an internet auction site before shooting it at a tree in a park as
children played nearby in April 2009. He was fined £100 and ordered
to pay costs, and magistrates ordered the destruction of the gun.
Local Guardian,
7 May 2009
An
air rifle was among weapons seized by police in an operation
which saw nine people arrested as school pupils and passengers at stations
in Wimbledon and Morden, south London, were searched.
Littlehampton Gazette,
7 May 2009
Police investigating the death
of a man whose body was found in a car in Horley, Surrey, have
confirmed that a firearm was involved. The death is not being
treated as suspicious.
The Citizen
(Burnley),
7 May 2009
A man from Padiham,
Lancashire, has been terrorised by thugs for 14 months. Since he
moved into his home the house has been shot at by people using
air rifles, vandalised and broken into by
thieves.
BBC,
7 May 2009
Two men were arrested in
Frampton, Dorset, after reports a man was threatened in an incident
involving firearms. No shots were fired but firearms were recovered.
One of the men holds a current firearm certificate.
Sunderland Echo,
6 May 2009
A stretch limousine may have
been shot at with an airgun in
Hendon, Sunderland. A side window was shattered causing
thousands of pounds of damage.
Eastern Daily Press,
6 May 2009
Nadeem Nowrung, 18, dressed up
in special forces army kit and carried what looked like a machine gun as
he attended lessons at a college in King's Lynn, Norfolk. He
also carried an imitation Browning pistol. A teacher alerted police
and made him put his guns away. Police found cross bows, a ball
bearing gun and a hand grenade at his home. He admitted being in
possession of imitation firearms and
was sentenced to 120 hours unpaid community work. The judge said "It
beggars belief that anybody with the remotest amount of sense could do
this". The incident occurred just days after a school shooting in
Germany.
Coventry Telegraph,
6 May 2009
A 16-year-old boy was shot in
the face when an airgun went off.
He was examining the revolver-type weapon with a friend at an address in
Bulkington, Warwickshire, when the gun went off. A pellet was
fired into the boy's chin. Police have issued a warning about the
dangers of playing with guns.
BBC,
6 May 2009
A second man was shot in
Luton, Bedfordshire, in 24 hours. The victim was shot in the leg
and was stable in hospital. It was later revealed that he had been
the victim of carjackers (BBC, 7 May 2009).
BBC,
6 May 2009
A man was in a serious
condition in hospital after he was shot in the back in Luton,
Bedfordshire. It is thought that the victim had been at a party at
an address in the road when the incident occurred.
BBC,
6 May 2009
A WPC was among seven people
arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods following a series of raids
in south-east London in which items including a
stun gun, police radio and suspected
controlled drugs were seized.
This is Wiltshire,
5 May 2009 *
Three men, two of whom were
teenagers, were released on police bail after being arrested in connection
with an incident at a convenience store in Staverton, Wiltshire.
An airgun was pulled on a resident
inside the shop but he grabbed the barrel and wrestled the youth to the
ground (Sun, 12 May 2009). The men were all arrested on suspicion of attempted
robbery. A 19-year-old has admitted possessing an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence (see
June 2009 Incidents).
Evening Telegraph
(Peterborough),
5 May 2009
Police carrying weapons
surrounded a group of youngsters in Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, after
worried members of the public spotted them with a gun in a garden.
The weapon turned out to be an air rifle
which was confiscated and will now be destroyed. Police have
repeated a warning that any resident brandishing a weapon risked armed
police being called to the scene.
BBC,
5 May 2009
Two men have been seriously
injured in shooting incidents in County Durham, though it is unclear
whether they were one related incident or two separate crimes. One
of the men required emergency surgery for a wound to his groin after
emergency services were called to Stanley. Two hours later
another man attended the same hospital with arm wounds and is awaiting
further surgery. He has been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.
Both men are said to be in a stable condition (BBC, 6 May
2009). Two men handed themselves in to police over the shooting and
were held on suspicion of attempted murder (BBC, 8 May 2009).
Daily Mail,
4 May 2009
A woman is recovering in
hospital after being shot by her husband. She was walking with him
near Woodbridge, Suffolk, when he stumbled down a rabbit hole and
the shotgun he was carrying went off.
She was hit in the ankle.
Boston Standard,
4 May 2009
A speed camera on the A52 at
Leverton, Lincolnshire, has been fired at with an
airgun.
BBC,
4 May 2009
A man suffered a minor gunshot
wound and two others sustained knife injuries in a street fight outside
Manor House tube station in north London. The man who was shot
remains in hospital in a stable condition.
BBC,
3 May 2009
Two men who went to a meeting
about a second-hand vehicle in Guildford, Surrey, were attacked
with an iron bar and a gun and slightly injured.
BBC,
3 May 2009 *
A robber armed with a handgun
threatened the staff of a shop in South Shields, Tyneside.
No-one was hurt but the man escaped with a quantity of money and
cigarettes. A man, who was armed with an air pistol, has been given
an indefinite jail sentence (see
October 2009 Incidents).
Milton Keynes Citizen,
1 May 2009
A teenager wielding a gun
caused a cyclist to fall off his bicycle in Milton Keynes.
The teenager raised his hand to waist height and appeared to fire the gun
at him. Police have not established if the gun was real or a
replica.
Keighley Times,
1 May 2009
A man has been arrested on
suspicion of supplying class A drugs and possessing a firearm following
raids in Keighley, West Yorkshire.
Coventry Evening
Telegraph,
1 May 2009
A cyclist was shot in the leg
with an airgun as he cycled along a
canal towpath between Radford Semele and Offchurch in
Warwickshire. The victim had to undergo surgery in hospital.
BBC,
1 May 2009
A man has been shot dead
outside Wandsworth Prison, south London. It is believed the
man who died was leaving the prison after visiting an inmate. At
least four shots were fired in the incident. Four men have been
arrested in connection with the shooting (BBC, 3 May 2009).
SCOTLAND
Evening Times,
27
May 2009 *
Mail deliveries have been
halted on a street in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, after a postman
was shot with an airgun. The
victim is thought to have lost a tooth and suffered an injury to his
eyebrow and had to be treated in hospital. A man has been jailed
after pleading guilty to recklessly discharging an air pistol at another
person and striking his victim on the head with ball bearings (see
September 2009 Incidents).
BBC,
27
May 2009
Russell Steele armed himself
with an air rifle and ordered a
neighbour in Perth to stop his DIY. He had asked the man to
stop working but when he refused Steele picked up the unloaded gun.
He admitted possessing a firearm with intent to make his neighbour believe
unlawful violence would be used against him in August 2008. He was
ordered to carry out 300 hours of community service.
BBC,
25 May 2009
A large haul of weapons and
ammunition was recovered from the River North Esk near the village of
St Cyrus, Aberdeenshire. Most of the weapons date back to
World War I and World War II and may have come from a dumped collection.
Police are keeping an open mind on the find.
BBC,
22 May 2009
A security van was held up
at gunpoint in Craigmarloch, Cumbernauld. Two men
threatened security guards with what appeared to be firearms and made
off with a five figure sum of cash.
BBC,
22 May 2009
Two men attempted to hijack
a car when the owner slowed down at traffic lights in Motherwell
in January 2009. Robert Blakeway asked for directions and Alan
Lynn slid into the front passenger seat and put a pistol the victim's
head. They demanded money and, instead of driving to his home, the
driver attempted to drive to the police station. However, he saw a
police car and attracted the attention of the officers. Blakeway
and Lynn ran away and were caught. The gun was a
carbon dioxide-powered pistol.
Both Blakeway and Lynn pleaded guilty to a charge of abduction and
robbery and Lynn admitted having a firearm with intent to make two
police constables would be used against them and also breaching the
Firearms Act by possessing the weapon after serving a long jail
sentence. Sentencing was deferred.
Paisley Daily Express,
21 May 2009
Armed police were alerted
after a security guard had challenged a man carrying a gun in the
grounds of a luxury hotel in Bishopton, Renfrewshire. The
police found a van parked a few miles from the hotel ground and an
air rifle, believed to have been
loaded, was discovered. A man was being questioned.
Evening Express,
21 May 2009
Aaron Mackie has admitted
behaving in a culpable and reckless manner and endangering a teenager.
He fired an airgun at a 14-year-old
girl in Aberdeen in March 2008, leaving her injured.
Pellets hit the girl on her head and body. Mackie is due back in
court next month.
BBC,
21 May 2009 *
Adam Busby from Paisley
has admitted sending shotgun cartridges
and threatening letters to politicians, including Scotland's First
Minister Alex Salmond and Mike Rumbles MSP. He rang journalists to
say the packages were the work of the Scottish National Liberation Army.
He admitted breach of the peace charges and a firearms offence.
Busby has been jailed for six years (BBC, 18 June 2009).
Northern Scot,
19 May 2009
An
airgun was fired towards a man as he walked near a woodland
area of Dufftown, Moray. He was not injured in the incident
which is being investigated by the police.
Scotsman,
18 May 2009
A man threatened staff with
a double-barrelled shotgun at a
bookmakers in Duddingston Park South, Edinburgh, before escaping
with about £4000. The robber and an accomplice drove away on a
motorbike.
BBC,
16 May 2009
A man is in hospital after
being shot and injured by the police at the railway station in Carfin,
North Lanarkshire. The police had been called after a report that
a man was in possession of a firearm on the track. A man was taken
to hospital where he was said to be in a serious but stable condition.
BBC,
8 May 2009
A man escaped with thousands
of pounds of cash after a raid on a bookmakers shop in Glasgow.
He threatened staff with what appeared to be a gun and demanded cash.
Ayrshire Post,
8 May 2009
A man threatened staff at a
store in Ayr with what appeared to be an
airgun. He demanded money before
making off empty handed.
BBC,
6 May 2009
A 14-year-old boy has been
charged after police were called to deal with a gun incident at a school
in Aberdeen. A replica weapon
is believed to have been discovered.
BBC,
6 May 2009
Mark McCracken has admitted
assault and robbery at a shop in Dennistoun, Glasgow, in June 2008.
He brandished a handgun when he snatched about £60 from the till and ran
off but was caught when he returned to buy a can of juice moments later.
Sentencing was deferred.
WALES
Daily Post,
29 May 2009
In March 2009 Daniel Skinner
forced his way into a neighbour's home in Flint and pointed an
air rifle at the face of a young woman.
The gun did not have a butt but all the working parts were present.
Skinner was demanding the whereabouts of a man whilst pointing the
weapon directly at the victim's forehead. He admitted affray,
assault, possessing a firearm and breaching his Asbo, as well as a set
of similar charges in relation to an incident in which he was armed with
a knife.
BBC,
29 May 2009 *
Kevin Phythian and Philip
Phythian have admitted robbery following a hold-up at a supermarket in
Old Colwyn, Conwy, in March 2009 (see
Incidents). A third denied
robbery. Keith Phythian has admitted possessing an imitation
firearm, a blank firing pistol, with
intent to commit robbery, a charge denied by the other two men.
All three denied a charge of aggravated burglary at a house in Colwyn
Bay with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm. The Phythian
brothers were each jailed for 10 years and Simon Robinson, who also
admitted robbery, was jailed for three years (BBC, 24 August
2009).
BBC,
22 May 2009
A knife-wielding robber
threatened to get a gun when he was pelted with carrots during a robbery
at a shop in Talwrn, Anglesey. Kevin Jones was jailed for
three years and four months after he admitted robbery.
Evening Leader,
18 May 2009
A man is due to appear in
court charged with possessing an imitation
firearm after an incident at a pub in Flint. He
has also been charged with criminal damage.
BBC,
13 May 2009 *
A man has been arrested on
suspicion of committing two double murders in Pembrokeshire in the 1980s.
The victims had been shot. Two holidaymakers were murdered with a
shotgun on the coastal path at Little
Haven in June 1989 and a brother and sister were killed in December
1985 at a house near Milford Haven which was then set on fire.
A man has appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to four counts of
murder (BBC, 28 October 2009).
BBC,
9 May 2009
Workmen resurfacing a road at
Llanerfyl, Powys, have received threats and verbal abuse because of
the delays to motorists, one of whom said he would use an
air rifle to shoot them.
BBC,
7 May 2009
Ricky Connon from Broughton,
Flintshire, has admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause people
to believe that unlawful violence would be used against them. He
fired an airgun out of his window when
children hurled missiles at his flat in March 2009. He was given a
suspended 40 week jail sentence and made subject of a two year supervision
order.
Shropshire Star,
6 May 2009
An
airgun pellet was fired at a passing car in Llanymynech,
Powys. No-one was hurt but police said they were "relieved" the
incident was not more serious. The car door was damaged.
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
Tewkesbury ADMAG,
28 May 2009
A woman has been left
distraught after her cat was shot with an air
rifle in Evesham, Worcestershire. She found her
cat with a massive lump on the side of his body and thought he had
developed an aggressive form of cancer but an x-ray revealed an air rifle
pellet embedded in his rib muscles. He was lucky that it did not go
into his lungs.
This is Nottingham,
26 May 2009
A man shot dead a bull terrier
after it attacked his own dog on a walk in Sutton-in-Ashfield,
Nottinghamshire. The police are investigating several aspects of the
incident including the use of the firearm and why the bull terrier was not
under control. The owner of the rifle had a firearms licence.
The Star,
25 May 2009
A couple have been left
devastated by the death of their pet cat after he was shot at with an
airgun close to his home in Cudworth,
South Yorkshire. A pellet tore through his side and into his stomach
and he had to be put to sleep.
The Star,
21 May 2009
Two boys were arrested after
residents in Staincross, South Yorkshire, told the police that
birds had been shot in woods. A 16-year-old appeared in court
charged with possessing a loaded air weapon
in a public place. He received a 24-hour
community payback order. The second boy, aged 15,
received an official caution.
Doncaster Free Press,
21 May 2009 *
A 14-year-old boy was arrested
in Carcroft, South Yorkshire, for shooting wild birds on a public
footpath with an air weapon. He
was given a final warning for firearms and wildlife offences.
Stroud News & Journal,
20 May 2009
A cat was left with an
air rifle pellet lodged three inches deep
in his leg after he was shot in Rodborough, Gloucestershire.
His owner first thought he had been run over, but vets found the pellet.
Forres Gazette,
20 May 2009
A cat has had its leg
amputated after it was shot with an airgun
in Findhorn, Moray. The pellet shattered its right back leg.
Southern Daily Echo,
19 May 2009
A cat owner from Park Gate,
Hampshire, is offering a reward to catch the person who left her pet
fighting for his life after he was shot with an
air rifle. The cat was found crying in pain with a gaping
hole in his chest. Vets confirmed he had been shot by an airgun and
amputated his front leg. Another cat has a broken leg after being
shot in Thornhill, Southampton, a week earlier.
Rutland Times,
18 May 2009
A cat has been shot with an
air rifle in Oakham, Rutland.
His owner found him crying in pain and was horrified to see x-rays of a
pellet lodged near his spine. The cat may never walk properly again,
despite vet bills of more than £600. He is the second cat to suffer
being shot in the area within the last six weeks. In the earlier
incident a cat was shot in the leg.
This is Hull & East
Riding,
15 May 2009
Two separate
airgun shootings occurred in one day in
Hull. A young cat was millimetres away from dying after a
pellet went through its rib cage and liver before lodging in its stomach.
The animal was found in west Hull. Another cat was shot in
Cottingham and had been brought to the same vets by its owner after
its shoulder bone had been shattered by an airgun pellet.
This is Derbyshire,
14 May 2009
A cat has been shot at close
range with an air rifle in Alvaston,
Derby. He was seen to be bleeding, and when his fur was pulled back
a small metal pellet was found lodged in his shoulder. His owner
believes he's had a lucky escape.
Tavistock Times Gazette,
14 May 2009
A cat was shot with an
air rifle in Tavistock, Devon.
The pellet burst through the animal's intestine and he is lucky to be
alive. The full extent of the injuries and pellet were only
discovered when the cat was taken to the vets.
Wigan Observer,
13 May 2009
Teenagers who have been
drinking are terrorising bailiffs and firing
airgun pellets at wildlife at fishing ponds in Wigan,
Greater Manchester. One gander was shot with an air rifle recently.
Evening Courier,
13 May 2009
A dog let off its lead while
it was being walked in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, was shot with an
airgun. Its owner noticed blood on
its back and felt something beneath the skin. The pellet was removed
by surgery at a vets.
The Argus,
13 May 2009
A cat owner, who is also a
vet, performed life-saving surgery on her own pet after he was shot in the
face in Hove, Sussex. An air rifle
pellet had shattered teeth and damaged the roof of her cat's mouth before
becoming lodged in the base of his tongue.
Express & Star,
12 May 2009
An
air rifle sniper is believed to have been responsible for
killing a cat and injuring another belonging to a family in Cookley,
Worcestershire. Investigations are being carried out by the police
and RSPCA.
This is Staffordshire,
8 May 2009
Vets have had to remove a
cat's eye after she was shot in the face with an
air rifle in Whitehill, Staffordshire. Her life is
now hanging in the balance as the vets were unable to remove the pellet
which had become lodged in her throat. The paper has listed six
other woundings to cats in the area in six months, four of which, in
Tunstall, Hanford, Kidsgrove and Cheadle, were
recorded on this website. The other two cats were shot in
Wolstanton and Chesterton (The Sentinel, 9 May 2009).
Chad (Mansfield),
7 May 2009
Two cats needed treatment at a
vets after they were shot with an air rifle
in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire. These incidents follow four
others reported to the police this year which resulted in the death of
one cat, another having to have its eye removed and injuries to the other
two. All of the cats were shot with a .22 air rifle.
Free Press,
6 May 2009
A cat was shot in the face by
an air rifle in Pontypool,
South Wales, and may have lost the sight in one eye. The pellet
narrowly missed his eyeball and hit the corner of the eye socket, then
went through the top of his nose and into his palate.
Lakeland Echo,
5 May 2009
A cat has been shot dead with
an air rifle in Overton,
Lancashire. It was hit in the head. The woman who discovered
the dead animal reported that a number of other cats have been shot in the
area.
Evening Leader,
5 May 2009
A cat belonging to a pensioner
has been shot dead from close range with an
airgun in Coedpoeth near Wrexham. The pet was
found unable to stand and taken to a vet but could not be saved.
