JUNE 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 (*).
GCN is
indebted to two correspondents who provided us with information about
incidents during the month. We know the list may be incomplete and
would welcome details of any incidents which may be missing.
ENGLAND
This is Kent, 30 June 2010
Police used a Taser to force a
man to lay down a gun after he refused to do so. The incident took
place close to a primary school in Wigmore, Kent. It is
believed the weapon was an imitation gun.
Newham Recorder, 30 June 2010
A man was discovered with a
gunshot wound to his left foot in Forest Gate, east London.
He was taken to hospital where he remained in a stable condition.
Manchester Evening News, 30 June 2010
A family are fleeing their
home in Moorside, Greater Manchester, after an
airgun attack. Shots were fired on
their home and car. It is the latest in a string of incidents for
the family who claim they have also received threats on the telephone and
via social networking sites.
Fleetwood Weekly News, 30 June 2010
Mark Houlgrave threatened a
Chinese takeaway worker in Whitebirk, Lancashire, with an
imitation handgun in August 2009 and
demanded she put money in a bag. He fled with a small amount of
cash. He has been jailed for four years after pleading guilty to
robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.
Evening Chronicle, 30 June 2010
Karl Walls has been jailed for
21 months after admitting assault. He pulled an
airgun on a man who had just returned to
Newcastle and fired five pellets into his arm. He then poked
fun at his victim on Facebook. It was claimed that the violence was
sparked by an unpaid debt.
BBC, 30 June 2010
A businessman from Brampton,
Lincolnshire, died of gunshot wounds just minutes after threatening his
wife in a row over their future in December 2009. His body was found
nearby with gunshot wounds to the head. The man had organised
partridge and pheasant shoots. The coroner returned an open verdict.
Wimbledon Guardian, 29 June 2010
A teenager was shot in the
neck in Mitcham, south London. The 17-year-old was treated at
the scene and then taken to hospital. His injuries are not
life-threatening.
This is Lincolnshire, 29 June 2010
Matthew Parr and Adam Woolf
have admitted kidnap, assault and possessing an illegal
stun gun. They abducted another
man from his home in South Lincolnshire after being sent to enforce
a debt. The victim was beaten and shot at point blank range with the
stun gun.
Runcorn and Widnes World, 29 June 2010
Two businessmen were
threatened by two men as they were putting takings into a night safe at a
bank in Widnes, Cheshire. One of the attackers threatened one
of the victims with what appeared to be a handgun but the victim escaped
after quickly getting back into a car.
Liverpool Daily Post, 29 June 2010
A decomposed body and a haul
of airguns were discovered in a flat
in Southport, Merseyside. It is understood that there were in
excess of 15 guns. The death is not being treated as suspicious at
this stage.
Evening Telegraph (Peterborough), 29 June 2010
A man from Farnborough,
Hampshire, has pleaded not guilty to possession of weapons, including a
high-powered air rifle. He
denied possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence,
possession of the air rifle and affray.
Yorkshire Evening Post, 28 June 2010
Gary Lewin was caught by
police in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in June 2009 following a raid
which uncovered drugs and a loaded gun. He has been found guilty of
a string of drugs and gun crimes and will serve a 14-year jail sentence.
This is Local London, 28 June 2010
Two men, one aged 17, have
appeared in court charged with possessing an
imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.
The older man has also been charged with possessing a firearm without a
certificate. The charges follow the arrest of four people in
New Cross, south east London, on suspicion of possessing a firearm
after a car was stopped.
Halesowen News, 28 June 2010
Dru Newman who was sleep
deprived and had been taking cocaine cut off the power to a block of flats
in Halesowen, West Midlands, and threatened a couple with a fake
gun after being driven to despair by their noise. He admitted
possessing an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence. He was given a 12 month jail term
suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work in
the community and obey a four month curfew.
East Anglian Daily Times, 28 June 2010
Two incidents involving guns,
thought to be connected, took place in Ipswich. In the first
two men heard "pop" noises before one of the men was hit in the ankle with
what is believed to be a BB gun
pellet. The shots may have been fired from a vehicle.
Following this a woman was threatened by a man with a handgun who got out
of a car. The gunman demanded her purse but got back into the car
when she did not hand anything over.
BBC, 28 June 2010
Two dog walkers were robbed of
cash by a man believed to have been armed with a rifle. The attack
took place in woods in Tadworth, Surrey. The women were
unhurt but "shaken" by the experience.
BBC, 28 June 2010
A number of people were taken
hostage by a man armed with a gun. He is believed to have entered a
bank in Ashford, Surrey. It was reported the man was carrying
a sawn-off shotgun (Guardian,
28 June 2010). Later reports indicated that the gunman was 'drunk'
and was armed with an imitation weapon.
It has been suggested that he had a grievance against the bank (Daily
Mail, 29 June 2010). A man has appeared in court to face charges
of robbery, false imprisonment, possession of an imitation firearm with
intent to commit robbery and two counts of making threats to kill.
He is also accused of blackmail, possessing an offensive weapon and making
a bomb hoax (Lynn News, 8 July 2010).
The Argus, 28 June 2010
A postman was shot in the back
as he got off his bike in a pub car park in Lancing, West Sussex.
He was hit beneath the ribs with a pellet fired from what police believe
was an air rifle. He was left
with a bleeding red wound but chose to finish his round.
Sunday Mercury, 27 June 2010
There have been two further
shootings in Birmingham. A man was shot in the stomach in Lozells
and the same evening a man was shot in the groin in Handsworth Wood.
Six shots have also been fired in a street in Aston but no-one was
injured.
Northern Echo, 26 June 2010
A rooftop protestor who was
involved in an armed stand-off with police was a teenager wanted for
threatening to shoot an officer less than a week earlier. At the
time of the first incident in March 2010 he had been armed with a .22
air rifle in Grangetown,
Teesside. Jack Millington, 17, later pleaded guilty to making use of
a firearm with intent to resist or prevent lawful arrest and he admitted
possessing a firearm when prohibited because he had served a prison
sentence.
Burton Mail, 26 June 2010
Armed police swooped on an
industrial estate in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, after
receiving reports of a 13-year-old brandishing a gun in the back of a car.
The gun was a toy weapon which was
being waved around in the back of his father's car.
BBC, 26 June 2010
Medical staff on a maternity
ward in Tameside, Greater Manchester, were threatened by two men who
shouted abuse and implied they would produce a gun. A 17-year-old
and a man were arrested on suspicion of affray.
This is Hampshire, 25 June 2010
Four men have been sentenced
for their part in attacks on massage parlours in Southampton and
two of them for their role in a "gangland dispute". In the second
attack on a massage parlour in July 2008, Matthew Long, Joseph Flaherty and
Nathan Jennings, 18, were armed with an imitation
firearm. They stole £300 in cash. Jennings admitted
waving the imitation gun our of a car window at a man who had confronted
them. In a separate incident Jennings and Liam Williams fired a
sawn-off shotgun at the front door of a
man in Sarisbury Green, against whom they held a grudge. Police
later found the car, which was stolen, with the gun inside. Jennings
pleaded guilty to two burglaries and possession with a firearm with intent
to endanger life and was sentenced to a total of five years in a young
offenders institution. Williams was convicted of possessing a
sawn-off shotgun and given a five year sentence. Lang pleaded guilty
to four burglaries and received a three year prison term and Flaherty
pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and three other burglaries and was
given a two year sentence.
Telegraph, 25 June 2010 *
Aman Kassaye, one of two
gunmen who robbed a jewellers in Mayfair, central London, in August 2009 (see
Incidents), has been found guilty of robbery and of kidnapping a shop
assistant to help make his escape. The jury is still deliberating on
six co-defendants who all deny charges relating to the robbery.
Craig Calderwood has admitted being a robber but claims he was forced into
it because of threats made to him and his family. The jury was
unable to reach a verdict. Solomon Beyene and Clinton Mogg were both
convicted of conspiracy to rob as was Thomas Thomas. Four other men
were cleared of the same charge (Guardian, 6 July 2010).
Kassaye has been jailed for 24 years, Beyene, Mogg and Thomas were
sentenced to 16 years each (Press Association, 6 August 2010).
Reading Post, 25 June 2010
A man has denied owning a
Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol found in his garage in East Reading,
Berkshire, despite being seen in a picture holding a similar weapon.
He claims a number of people have access to the garage and could have put
it there.
Luton Today, 25 June 2010
A gang of three men robbed a
convenience store in Luton, Bedfordshire, at gunpoint. The
owner was grabbed around the neck and held in a headlock. The gang
were also armed with a knife.
Daily Mirror, 25 June 2010
Michael Masters repeatedly
fired a stun gun at his victim as the
man lay on the ground in agony. He attacked the man as he walked
home from work in York. An accomplice hit the man with a
monkey wrench. They later attacked another victim. Masters
admitted robbery, possessing a weapon and ABH and was jailed for five
years.
BBC, 25 June 2010
A woman was injured in an
airgun attack in Earlsdon, Coventry, in which a pellet
narrowly missed hitting her baby. The victim was hit in the right
shoulder and was carrying her daughter in the same arm. A police
spokesman said that the shooting could have had "fatal consequences had
the pellet struck such a young child" (Coventry Telegraph, 28 June
2010).
BBC, 25 June 2010
Police found a number of
weapons, including a BB machine gun,
at the home of Michael Heaton from Leigh, Greater Manchester, one
of two men who have been jailed for posting racist internet messages.
He was jailed for 30 months. At the home of the other man, Trevor
Harrington, in Hirwaun, South Wales, another personal armoury was
found including an air rifle. He
was jailed for two years.
BBC, 25 June 2010
Anthony Tirado and Dion
Griffin have been found guilty of the murder of a man who died from a
gunshot wound after being found in an alleyway in Nottingham in May
2009 (see Incidents). They will both serve a minimum of 28 years.
Andrew Pleasance was found guilty of assisting an offender and was given a
four-year prison sentence.
Worcester Standard, 24 June 2010
Christopher Villaweaver walked
into the police station in Worcester and asked whether there was a
warrant out for his arrest. When he was searched a pistol was
discovered in his bag. The incident followed a report that a
pedestrian had been spotted carrying a pistol. In September 2009 he
pleaded guilty to communicating false information and possession of an
imitation firearm in a public place.
He was given a two-year community order with supervision but failed to
attend a probation service meeting. He has now been jailed for 21
months.
News Shopper, 24 June 2010
A man who was shot in the head
in a street in Catford, south east London, was pronounced dead
shortly after arrival at hospital. He was in the driver's seat of a
car when he was found. The shots are believed to have been fired by
a man who jumped into a passing van.
BBC, 24 June 2010
A man has been shot in the leg
at a flat in Kensington, Liverpool. He was in a stable
condition in hospital where he was being treated for a single gunshot
wound.
BBC, 24 June 2010
A man has been arrested on
suspicion of assault after an incident at an address in Hartlepool,
Teesside. Armed police were called after reports of the presence of
a firearm. An air weapon was
recovered.
Sutton Guardian, 23 June 2010
A security guard was held up
by a man with an automatic pistol in St Helier, south London.
He was moving cash between a post office and a van.
Streatham Guardian, 23 June 2010
Perrie Reese-Mason Ogodo and
Israel Ankers have been jailed after being found guilty of possession of a
firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Police officers
found a Mac-10 sub-machine gun in their car in Battersea, south
London, in September 2009, after the car crashed. The men fled the
scene. Ankers was caught nearby and Ogodo was caught next day on a
plane at Heathrow Airport. Ogodo was jailed for a minimum of six
years while Ankers was sentenced to nine years. A 16-year-old who
passed the gun to the other men was found guilty of possessing a
prohibited weapon and possession of ammunition. He was given a
two-year detention and training order.
Observer & Citizen, 23 June 2010
Robert Hughes admitted
aggravated burglary in December 2009 and was jailed for seven years.
He had tied up a woman and attacked her partner with a
stun gun at their home in Milton
Keynes, Buckinghamshire, in March 2007. He has now had his
sentence reduced by a year on appeal.
Knutsford Guardian, 23 June 2010
A security guard was
threatened by a gunman before his cashbox was stolen from outside a post
office in Knutsford, Cheshire. The man was armed with a
handgun. The raid may be linked to a similar robbery in
Comberbach four days earlier.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 23 June 2010
Adam Ashton was found in
possession of a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun when police stopped a
car near Mirfield, West Yorkshire. The car belonged to John
Waters who was jailed for 14 years for drug dealing and firearms offences
(Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 11 June 2010).
Ashton admitted possessing the prohibited firearm, having ammunition
without a firearms certificate and various drugs supply offences and was
jailed for nine years. He was "a willing lieutenant" to Waters,
according to the judge.
Get Reading, 23 June 2010
Jamie Dunne from Caversham,
Berkshire, has been convicted of attempting to murder his wife in January
2010 (see Incidents).
He shot her in the head with a shotgun. He previously admitted
possessing a shortened shotgun, criminal damage, possession of a firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence and unlawful wounding.
BBC, 23 June 2010
Armed robbers threatened staff
with a handgun during a raid at a betting shop in Haslemere,
Surrey. They demanded a sum of money from the till.
BBC, 23 June 2010
A teenage girl and two men
have been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm after police
received reports of a man wielding a gun in Huyton, Merseyside.
A weapon was recovered.
BBC, 23 June 2010
A husband and wife suffered
serious injuries during a dispute between neighbours in Nordelph,
Norfolk. Both received firearms injuries. A man was arrested
on suspicion of attempted murder and a shotgun
was recovered from the scene. It is suggested that there had been a
long-running dispute over a dog (Telegraph, 24 June 2010). A
man has now been charged with two counts of attempted murder (BBC,
25 June 2010).
Barking & Dagenham Post, 23 June 2010
Paul Thompson has admitted
arming himself with an air pistol
during a family brawl in Dagenham, east London, in December 2008.
He was attacked by his son and his son's stepfather after he pointed the
gun at his ex-partner. The other two men have been found guilty of
affray and are facing jail.
Worcester News, 22 June 2010
Michael Willmott, who has
mixed person disorder, planned to rob a post office in Worcester.
He has pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm, an
airgun. The judge described his
plan as a cry for help. He ordered Willmott to be detained at a
mental health hospital.
This is Sussex, 22 June 2010
A man entered a travel agents
in East Grinstead, West Sussex, with what appeared to be a firearm.
He helped himself to a quantity of money before leaving.
This is Gloucestershire, 22
June 2010
A van was shot at and damaged
with an air rifle in Gloucester.
The van was parked at the time of the incident.
Kent Online, 22 June 2010 *
Gary McMeekin pleaded guilty
to six charges of robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm, and two further offences will be taken into
consideration. He admitted robbing various bookmakers in Kent, in
Strood, Snodland and Northfleet between November 2009
and April 2010 (see Incidents).
Robert Blackburn pleaded guilty to one charge of robbery in connection to
the offence in Northfleet. McMeekin has been jailed for 15 years,
Blackburn for four years (Kent News, 31 August 2010).
Harrow Times, 22 June 2010
A man is accused of walking
into a bookmakers in Wembley, north west London, with an
imitation handgun and holding up a member
of staff in October 2009. Around £440 was taken during the raid.
He is also accused of holding up another bookmakers in Harrow two
days later. He denies two counts of robbery and two of possession of
an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear.
Harborough Mail, 22 June 2010
Specialist police officers
were scrambled in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, after reports
of a young boy wielding a handgun. The weapon was found to be a
toy gun. Advice was given to the
youth and his parents concerning the potential consequences of his action.
Get Hampshire, 22 June 2010
A cache of
replica firearms including 20 fake
Kalashnikovs have been stolen from a van parked in Aldershot,
Hampshire. The van was broken into by two men. The weapons are
used as part of a military re-enactment business.
Daily Echo, 22 June 2010
A seven-year-old boy has been
shot in the leg with an airgun while
playing in a children's playground in Poole, Dorset. The
pellet didn't fully penetrate. A man was arrested and released on
police bail after police had attended an address that backs onto the park.
Bristol Evening Post, 22 June 2010
A licensed firearms holder
was arrested in connection with an alleged licence infringement with one
of his weapons following an incident in Kenn, Somerset, in which a
woman became terrified that a man was on the brink of going berserk with
firearms. She told a neighbour that the man had shot chickens and
cats and she believed he was going to shoot her. The police have
been criticised for not responding faster to the incident.
BBC, 22 June 2010
Two youths, one believed to be
armed with a BB gun, threatened
workers at a shop in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire. They demanded
cigarettes but left empty-handed.
BBC, 22 June 2010
A pensioner escaped unharmed
after shots were fired at his house in Stretford, Greater
Manchester. Police discovered damage to the front door and a bedroom
window.
Kent News, 21 June 2010
A female cyclist received
medical attention after she was shot in the arm while cycling in
Pembury, Kent. The shot was believed to have come from an
air weapon fired from a small van.
Earlier that day a gardener working on a grass verge in Tonbridge had been hit in the
leg by an object thought to have come from a similar vehicle.
Hounslow Chronicle, 21 June 2010
Sebastian Mateza and his
brother Pedro Mateza, both aged 19, lured a former girlfriend to their
home in Chiswick, west London, in September 2009 where Sebastian
shot her in the stomach at point blank range with an
airgun. They left her thinking she was going to die.
The two were both convicted with intent, two counts of having with intent
to commit an indictable offence and a fourth of having an imitation
firearm in a public place. Both were given indeterminate jail
sentences with a minimum of four years. A third man, Daniel Kongo,
was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of wounding
with intent and having an imitation firearm in a public place.
BBC, 21 June 2010
A man injured in a shooting
incident in the Kinson area of Bournemouth, Dorset, was
treated in hospital where his injuries were described as not
life-threatening. A cartridge case was found. Five people have
been arrested. It is understood that a revolver was used (Daily
Echo, 22 June 2010).
BBC, 21 June 2010
A man has been charged with
two counts of attempted murder after two police officers were shot at in
Perivale, west London. The officers tried to pull over a
motorist spotted using a mobile phone while driving.
BBC, 20 June 2010
Two men threatened to shoot
the postmaster at the post office in Woodville, Derbyshire, but
nothing was stolen. No firearm was seen. The incident may be
linked to a raid in Hilton where staff were threatened with a knife
and several hundred pounds was stolen.
This is Nottingham,
19
June 2010
A man has appeared in court
accused of armed robberies of two stores in Lowdham, Nottingham, in
April 2010 (see May 2010
Incidents) and Long Eaton this month (see below). He faces two
firearms charges for allegedly using an imitation
handgun to carry out the robberies.
Wiltshire Times, 18
June 2010 *
A man from Melksham,
Wiltshire, has been charged with possessing an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence following an incident at his home.
It is alleged that following an argument he threatened family members with
a BB gun. The 19-year-old has
been charged with possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause
fear of violence (This is Wiltshire, 31 August 2010).
Rutland & Stamford Mercury, 18
June 2010
A man was arrested and charged
with possession with intent to supply controlled drugs and possession of
an offensive weapon after police searched a vehicle in Stamford,
Lincolnshire, and found cannabis, drug paraphernalia and a
replica firearm.
Kent Online, 18
June 2010
A man believed to be armed
with a sawn-off shotgun has raided a
bookmakers in New Romney, Kent. He left with an undisclosed
amount of cash.
Epping Forest, Waltham Forest, Wanstead &
Woodford Guardian, 18
June 2010
A teenager suffered chest
wounds in a drive-by shooting in Walthamstow, north east London.
Ten days earlier a 16-year-old was shot in the face and arm through the
window of his home in the area.
Eastbourne Today, 18
June 2010
Alan Price, 19, from
Eastbourne, East Sussex, brandished a gun-shaped cigarette lighter and
threatened to shoot two bouncers after they refused to let him into a
nightclub in February 2009. He was convicted of having an
imitation firearm with intent to cause
fear of violence and was originally sentenced to two years. That
sentence has now been reduced to eight months on appeal.
Bristol Evening Post, 18
June 2010
A
shotgun was found when police closed a cannabis factory in
Fishponds, Bristol. A man was arrested on suspicion of
possession with intent to supply, abstracting electricity and money
laundering.
Manchester Evening News, 17 June
2010
David Gray walked into the A&E
department of a hospital in North Manchester carrying an
air rifle. He had been drinking
before the incident in December 2009 (see
Incidents). He pleaded guilty to
possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear and to possessing a firearm
while prohibited and was jailed for two years.
BBC, 17 June
2010
A shop owner in Luton,
Bedfordshire, was threatened with a gun during a robbery at a convenience
store. The shop was targeted by three men who stole cash from the
till and bottles of alcohol.
BBC, 17 June
2010
A gun was found in bushes in
Newbury, Berkshire. The police declined to comment further.
BBC, 17 June
2010
A man who appeared to be hold
a gun threatened staff at a store in Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
He fled on foot after taking cash.
BBC, 17 June
2010
A group of men are believed to
have shot out the windows of a flat in Shildon, County Durham.
They are reported to have tried to force entry into the flat.
BBC, 17 June
2010
A man was seriously ill in
hospital after he was shot in the thigh in Salford. His
condition was said to be serious but stable. Two men were arrested
on suspicion of attempted murder.
Welwyn & Hatfield Times, 16 June
2010
A two-year-old boy was shot
with a BB gun while playing in his
parents' back garden in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. It
is alleged that the gun was fired by two children.
This is South Devon, 16 June
2010
Three teenagers were
threatened by a gunman on a street in Barton in Torquay, Devon.
They were ordered to run by the man as he aimed the gun at them. A
local man was detained by police on suspicion of possession of a weapon
with intent to cause fear or violence. An
air pistol was seized.
The News, 16 June 2010
Michael Butterworth, an off
duty soldier aged 19, shot at pupils at a secondary school in Sarisbury
Green, Southampton, with a BB gun.
He repeatedly drove past the school in February 2010. In another
incident Butterworth and a 15-year-old drove past a man in Locks Heath
and shot him in the thigh. Butterworth pleaded guilty to two counts
of having an imitation firearm in public and two counts of assault.
He was given a 12-month community order with an 80-hour unpaid work
element. The youth was given a 12-month youth rehabilitation order
with 40 hours unpaid work.
Manchester Evening News, 16 June 2010
Police seized a mobile phone
converted to work as a stun gun at a
house in Heywood, Greater Manchester. A man was arrested on
suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate and possession of
a Class A drug (Rochdale Online, 16 June 2010).
Greater Manchester Police have issued a warning about stun guns disguised
as mobile phones.
The devices are available over
the internet for as little as £9. The guns are classed as illegal
firearms in Britain (Manchester Evening News, 19 June 2010).
Manchester Evening News, 16 June 2010
After Frank Steenfeld
threatened workmen with an air rifle
and a sword police raided his flat in Blackley, Greater Manchester.
The police found evidence that he sexually abused children. He
pleaded guilty to affray, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession
of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and 10 counts of making
indecent images. He was jailed for 12 years.
Manchester Evening News, 16 June 2010
Stephen Pattison, who was
charged with attempted murder in connection with an incident at a pub in
Didsbury, Manchester, in September 2008 when shots were
being fired, has been cleared of the charge. He admitted possessing
an imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence. He has been jailed for four
years (BBC, 1 July 2010).
Lowestoft Journal, 16 June 2010
Four training rifles were
stolen from a storage area at a rifle range in Gisleham, Suffolk.
The rifles had their firing pins removed.
The Herald (Plymouth), 16 June 2010
An inquest has heard that
Andrew Pawlowski shot his partner as she lay on the floor before he put a
Magnum .357 revolver to his temple and killed himself. The two died
at their home in Dousland, Devon, in April 2009 (see
Incidents).
The shootings were witnessed by Pawlowski's mother. Apart from the
Magnum revolver several other guns were found at the property. At
the inquest he was described as controlling and a drinker. The
coroner recorded a suicide verdict and a verdict of unlawful killing on
his partner.
Haringey Independent, 16 June 2010
A gang of five men entered a
supermarket in Tottenham, north London. A member of staff was
threatened with a gun. No shots were fired but the robbers made off
with alcohol and a credit car machine.
Hackney Gazette, 16 June 2010
A
shotgun, revolver and self-loading pistol were taken by police
who raided a home in Homerton, east London. Around 30 shotgun
cartridges were recovered. Two people, one aged 16, were arrested.
Daily Echo, 16 June 2010
A search was underway after
reports of a fight and gunshots in Eastleigh, Hampshire. A
man was arrested but released later after no weapon was found (Daily
Echo, 18 June 2010).
BBC, 16 June 2010
Tyrone Cox and Lewis Monk
pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of firearms and ammunition
and to conspiracy to convert firearms and ammunition. They converted
starter pistols into lethal weapons on
Cox's shed in Enfield, north London. Cox was sentenced to 30
months in prison, Monk to 25 months.
BBC, 16 June 2010
A man has been arrested after
a bag containing suspected firearms and ammunition prompted a security
alert in Torquay, Devon. Two weapons, including a suspected
homemade firearm, were in the bag. One was described as "ready to
fire".
The Argus, 16 June 2010
Imitation handguns were seized at an address in Fishersgate,
Brighton, after reports that a man had confronted a woman with a gun.
A man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence.
The Star, 15
June 2010
A man was struck in the arm by
an airgun pellet and his wife had to
run for cover when a man opened fire in the car park of Hatfield and
Stainforth Station in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The victim's
injury was not serious.
Lancashire Telegraph, 15
June 2010
Darren Laycock converted a
disposable camera into a stun gun
after seeing a similar device on the internet. Police found the
device at his home in Burnley, Lancashire, in January 2010.
He admitted possessing a prohibited weapon and was given 12 months
supervision with 80 hours unpaid work.
Echo, 15
June 2010
A man armed with a black
handgun threatened staff at an off-licence in Westcliff, Essex.
He left the shop carrying the till which contained a two-figure sun of
cash. A CCTV still of the suspect has been released (Echo, 5
July 2010).
Press Association, 14 June
2010
A 17-year-old and a
16-year-old have been accused of taking pot shots at people and property
with an air rifle in Holloway,
north London. Two men and a woman suffered injuries to their arms
and bodies in December 2009 and January 2010. They are accused of
six counts of firing an air weapon out of a building, criminal damage,
common assault and possessing a restricted firearm when aged under 18. The younger boy is accused of having a stun gun.
Chester Chronicle, 14 June
2010
A man from Frodsham,
Cheshire, died in his home after an incident involving a gun. There
were no other persons involved or present in the incident and there does
not appear to be any suspicious circumstances.
BBC, 14 June
2010
A loaded pistol was found in
the River Irwell in Salford after a police officer spotted three
people trying to empty a bag on the banks of the river. Three people
were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm.
BBC, 14 June
2010
Staff at a betting shop in
Southsea were threatened with a gun by a man who escaped with cash.
BBC, 14 June
2010
Police recovered a
BB gun after a man waved a gun at a group
of people in a car park outside a pub in Cosham, Portsmouth.
The man had been wrestled to the ground but broke free and ran away.
BBC,
13 June 2010
Four people were injured in a shooting at a club night in the centre of
Birmingham. Three men and one woman were taken to hospital with
gunshot wounds. The woman was later discharged. The men are in a
stable condition. A man has been arrested on suspicion of
attempted murder (Sunday Mercury, 8 July 2010).
News Shopper, 12
June 2010
Lucy Adams, 19, has admitted
having a stun gun at her flat in
Anerley, south London. She was fined £66 and ordered to pay £100
costs. The weapon was ordered to be destroyed.
Manchester Evening News, 12
June 2010
A man and a woman have been
arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm, possessing class A drugs
with intent to supply and burglary after a
shotgun was found at a house in Clayton, Manchester.
BBC, 12
June 2010
A man has been charged with
attempted murder following the shooting of an 18-year-old in Belle Vale,
Merseyside, in January 2010. He was charged with six counts of
possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
BBC, 12
June 2010
A man was shot while sitting
in his car in Alum Rock, Birmingham. He was with four other
people when they were approached by a gunman. The victim was
recovering in hospital where he was in a stable condition.
BBC, 12
June 2010
A 19-year-old man was arrested
by armed police at a school in Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside, after
reports he was making threats to kill. A picture of a gun was posted
on a social networking website. He was released on bail.
Weston, Worle & Somerset
Mercury, 11
June 2010 *
Cam Mu, a businessman who runs
a restaurant in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, has been found guilty
of threatening to shoot a bailiff who was trying to clamp his car in
November 2009 (see Incidents).
He was found guilty of possessing a firearm, a
shotgun, with intent to cause fear of violence but not guilty
of an assault charge. He has been sentenced to one year in prison (Weston,
Worle & Somerset Mercury, 5 August 2010).
Wiltshire Times, 11
June 2010
A group of schoolboys found 32
live shotgun cartridges on a riverbank
at Lacock, Wiltshire. Not realising the danger they divided
the cartridges between them before going home. The police were
called when parents realised what the boys had found. The cartridges
have been destroyed.
Wigan Today, 11
June 2010
Steven McMyler pointed a
pistol at a woman as she drove through Shevington, Lancashire, in
February 2010 (see Incidents). He was in the middle of the road and forced her to
stop and ordered her from the car. He grabbed her handbag before
driving off with a 14-year-old accomplice. McMyler admitted robbery
and possessing an imitation firearm
and was jailed for four years. The teenager pleaded guilty to
allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle and shoplifting.
Surrey Comet, 11
June 2010
Landlord Ian Morton has
pleaded guilty to possessing a 12 bore shotgun
without a licence. He admitted stowing the gun in a bedroom above
the pub in Surbiton, south west London. It was found by
police who searched the pub on a drugs warrant in January 2010.
Sentencing was deferred.
The Star, 11
June 2010
Clifford Todd from
Woodseats, Sheffield, and a defendant in a drugs trial also pleaded
guilty to possessing a sawn-off shotgun and owning an
air pistol without a certificate.
He was jailed for five years, minus 390 days in custody.
Manchester Evening News, 11
June 2010
Colin Smith and an accomplice
burst into a bank in Pemberton, Greater Manchester, in May 2008,
brandishing a knife and a revolver. They stuffed six plastic sacks
with cash. Smith has pleaded guilty to the robbery and was given an
indeterminate sentence with a minimum of six years. He is already
serving an indeterminate sentence imposed after another robbery.
Local Guardian, 11
June 2010
One youth was arrested after a
newsagent in New Malden, south west London, was confronted by two
youths who tried to rob his store. He grabbed the
shotgun they were carrying and chased
them down the street.
The Journal, 11
June 2010 *
A school in Ashington,
Northumberland, has been left with a £3000 repair bill after a total of 84
windows were broken by vandals using an airgun.
The grandparents of two pupils have raised more than £520 to help foot the
repair bill (The Journal, 24 July 2010).
The Journal, 11
June 2010
Police seized more than 50
guns when they raided a flat in North Seaton in Ashington,
Northumberland. A man was arrested and charged with firearms
offences. A neighbour fears she may have unwittingly handled the
guns when looking after parcels for him. The man was charged with
converting an imitation firearm into a
firearm and possession, purchase or sale of a prohibited weapon.
BBC, 11
June 2010
Simeon Johnson, 18, and a
19-year-old man have been convicted of murdering a man during a drug deal
in Luton, Bedfordshire, in September 2009 (see
Incidents). The victim was shot
through the head. Johnson will serve a minimum term of 22 years and
the other man a minimum of 26 years (BBC, 25 June 2010).
BBC, 11
June 2010
Two men threatened a woman
with a shotgun and a
stun gun at her
home in Hackney, east London. They pretended to be delivering
a television set and demanded money. They escaped without taking
anything.
BBC, 11
June 2010
Ashley Thomas has been
convicted over the shooting of a man outside a nightclub in Luton,
Bedfordshire, in May 2009 (see
Incidents). He was found guilty of causing grievous
bodily harm with intent and possessing a prohibited firearm. He has
been given an indeterminate sentence and must serve at least five years
and 166 days (BBC, 15 June 2010).
This is Somerset, 10
June 2010
A 17-year-old who attempted to
raid a store in Paulton, Somerset, by pointing a
blank-firing revolver at the owner has
been sentenced to two years detention and training for attempted robbery
and possessing a firearm with intent. He had left the shop as soon
as he was challenged.
BBC, 10
June 2010
A woman from Sampford
Courtenay, Devon, who took home a bag containing four guns which had
been dumped at a tip admitted firearm offences. The guns were a .22
rifle and three shotguns. Sandra
O'Rourke was given a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years.
BBC, 10
June 2010
Two men were injured by flying
glass when shots were fired after a car crash in central London.
The injuries were relatively minor. No arrests were made.
BBC, 10
June 2010
A man was arrested after
reports a gunman was seen driving through Bournemouth, Dorset.
He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm.
Barking & Dagenham Post, 10
June 2010
There have been two incidents
in Dagenham, east London, in which armed police were called out
after a gunman was reported and found that the weapon was a
replica or
ball bearing gun. The police have warned people not to
carry such weapons with them in public and that police will always take
the appropriate action to ensure community safety.
Barking & Dagenham Post,
10
June 2010
A pensioner accused of
brandishing an air rifle and
threatening to kill children who were throwing snowballs at his window in
Dagenham, east London, has been cleared. He denied pointing the
gun and threatening a girl aged 17 and an 11-year-old boy.
Reading Post, 9
June 2010
A woman from Southcote,
Berkshire, has appeared in court charged with possessing an
air rifle and causing a neighbour to
believe violence would be used against her.
Birmingham Mail, 9
June 2010
A man was in a serious but
stable condition in hospital after he was shot while walking along a
street in Hamstead, Birmingham. He had two gunshot wounds to
the stomach.
BBC, 9
June 2010
A man was shot in Reading,
Berkshire, and sustained injuries to his arm and both legs. His
condition was improving. A total of five men have been arrested in
connection with the shooting (BBC, 14 June 2010).
This is Nottingham, 8
June 2010
A taxi passenger threatened a
cabbie with an airgun before he jumped
out of the vehicle and ran off. The incident took place in West
Bridgford, Nottingham.
This is Lancashire, 8
June 2010
An elderly couple dived for
cover when a gunman opened fire on their home in Bolton, Greater
Manchester. They were covered in flying glass from
shotgun pellets.
Salisbury Journal, 8
June 2010
A 16-year-old boy with an
imitation gun was arrested in Harnham, Wiltshire, after reports of
an assault on a local man. He was charged with possession of an
imitation firearm with intent to cause
fear of violence or assault.
Liverpool Echo, 8
June 2010
Michael Clarkson from Speke,
Merseyside, "lost all control" and threatened to set fire to a car while
armed with a BB gun. He wrongly
believed his partner was having an affair after finding a text message on
her phone. He admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent
to cause fear of violence, affray and criminal damage and has been jailed
for 16 months.
Isle of Wight Gazette, 8
June 2010
Maxwell Davies armed himself
with an imitation pistol after a
disagreement with a fellow drinker in Sandown, Isle of Wight, in
November 2009. The incident sparked a major armed response. He
was found guilty of two charges of possession of an imitation firearm and
threats to cause violence towards another man. He was given a
nine-month jail term suspended for two years. He was ordered to
carry out 120 hours unpaid work.
BBC, 8
June 2010
A man was injured during a
gunpoint robbery at a theatre in Chichester, West Sussex. Two
men brandishing handguns threatened staff and a visitor while they took a
large amount of cash from the safe. The visitor was struck in the
face and suffered a minor injury.
The Argus,
8
June 2010
A man from Chichester,
West Sussex, who pleaded guilty to a number of sex offences also admitted
possessing ammunition for a shotgun
when banned for five years and possessing an air
rifle, again while banned for five years. David Lacey was jailed
for four years.
The Argus,
8
June 2010
A driver brandished a gun near
Shaves Wood, West Sussex, following a road rage incident.
Police officers found two guns stashed inside a car. Police are
investigating the circumstances around what happened.
Whitehaven News,
7
June 2010
Road blocks were set up close
to the site near Ponsonby, where one of the victims of the Cumbria
shootings was killed following reports of a man with a
shotgun. The man was carrying
the gun for pest control and had all the necessary certificates with him
according to the police.
Warrington Guardian,
7
June 2010
A shot was fired through the
window of a home in Orford, Cheshire. It is believed a
shotgun was used. The police said
the incident appeared to be an isolated crime.
Sunderland Echo,
7
June 2010
Two men pleaded guilty to
having an unloaded air weapon in a
public place, a pub in Sunderland in March 2010. Kevin Bailey
had just bought the gun and the shopkeeper had told him he was all right
to carry the weapon "out-and-about" if he kept it unloaded and inside the
cover. He was given a 21-month community order and 21 months
supervision. His friend Colin Douthwaite, who had 20 pages of
previous convictions, was given a 12-month community order. The gun
will not be forfeited and destroyed and will be given back to the offender
after the police have finished with it.
The Sentinel, 7
June 2010
A man was injured during an
attack in Normacot, Staffordshire. He was shot as two men
opened his car door. He needed two emergency operations on his
ankle. It is believed the attack was carried out by professional
hitmen. Three men have been arrested (BBC, 18 June 2010).
Evening Telegraph
(Northamptonshire), 7
June 2010
Armed police officers were
called to Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, after receiving calls
about a man with a shotgun in fields
outside a factory. The man was shooting pigeons, was licensed to use
the gun and was on the land legally.
Local Guardian, 7
June 2010
A 14-year-old boy was shot in
the lower back and buttocks with a pellet gun.
The incident which took place in Leytonstone, north east London,
was believed to be gang related. The victim's injuries are not
serious.
Lincolnshire Echo, 7
June 2010 *
A man was reported to be
walking the streets in the Boultham Moor area of Lincoln with a
firearm. He was discovered by police with a black holdall bag and
they discharged a baton round after he failed to obey instructions.
Police have not confirmed that a firearm was found but the man was
arrested. Richard Hughes has pleaded guilty to phoning the police to
say there was a man wielding a gun. It is reported that he was
attempting "suicide by cop" (Lincolnshire Echo, 23 July 2010).
Although he had intimated he had a gun in a bag none was found. He
has been given an 18 week sentence, suspended for 18 months (Lincolnshire
Echo, 10 August 2010).
Hackney Gazette,
7
June 2010
A man presented himself to
hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm. He had been injured at
London Fields, east London, where another victim was seriously injured
in a gun fight last month.
Express & Echo, 7
June 2010 *
A woman was shot with a baton
gun by armed officers after she appeared to wave a gun in her garden in
Wonford, Devon. She had earlier threatened to harm herself.
Police say they believe two items seized from the woman are
imitation firearms. A woman has
admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or unlawful
violence (see July 2010
Incidents).
BBC, 7
June 2010
Thirty four cars have been
damaged during a rampage in Suffolk which lasted 10 hours. The
damage was done by a ball bearing gun
or airgun pellet. The attacks
took place in Newmarket and Exning.
Exmouth Herald, 6
June 2010
Police have launched an
investigation after internet footage was seen of a man from Exmouth,
Devon, showing off his homemade bombs and a gun. The gun was made
from balsa wood and other household items.
BBC, 6
June 2010 *
A man was shot dead while
waiting in a van at traffic lights in Waterloo, Merseyside. He
was pronounced dead at the scene. His girlfriend received minor
injuries. Two men have been arrested (BBC, 14 July 2010).
Another suspect has been arrested (BBC, 30 July 2010).
BBC, 6
June 2010
A man was charged with
possessing a firearm and ammunition and doing so while prohibited after
another man was allegedly chased by an armed man in Moss Side,
Manchester. The gun and ammunition were later discovered in
Longsight.
Leicester Mercury, 5
June 2010
A loaded revolver was
discovered just yards from a children's playground in Highfields,
Leicester. Police firearms specialists say it was ready for use.
BBC, 5
June 2010
A man was shot in Walton,
Liverpool. He was found with injuries to his leg.
BBC, 5
June 2010
Armed police surrounded a
house in Southampton after reports that burglars armed with a gun
had injured someone inside. A man received medical treatment at the
scene for a cut to his head.
Swindon Advertiser, 4
June 2010
Beri Banye Fanso broke into a
house in East Wichelstowe, Swindon, with another man in January
2010 (see Incidents).
He was wielding an imitation gun and
his accomplice clutched a knife. They subjected the homeowners to a
vicious assault and ran off with £2000. Fanso pleaded guilty to
aggravated burglary, possession of a firearm with intent to commit an
indictable offence and possession of cannabis resin. He was jailed
for seven years.
Isle of Wight County Press, 4
June 2010
David Harbour was fined £100
with costs after he admitted trespassing on RSPB-owned land at
Bembridge Marshes, Isle of Wight, with a firearm. He was
photographed holding an air rifle by a
bird watcher who sent the photograph to the RSPB.
Hounslow & Brentford Times, 4
June 2010 *
Armed robbers riding
motorbikes attacked a security van guard outside a bank in Feltham,
west London. The worker was threatened and hit with a gun. The
weapon was reported to be a sawn-off shotgun
(Hounslow Chronicle, 4 June 2010).
Evening Telegraph (Peterborough), 4
June 2010
Two men armed with a handgun
and a knife threatened staff and customers in a bookmakers in
Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. They demanded money and staff handed
over several hundred pounds before leaving the shop.
BBC, 4 June 2010
Residents in an area of
Stoke-on-Trent have spoken of their fear after they were woken by
gunshots fired in the early morning to cull geese. The work
was being carried out by a contractor who was licensed to cull the birds.
Cambridge News, 3 June 2010
A housesitter was shot with a
sawn-off shotgun on the doorstep of a
property in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire. Two men had
knocked at the home. The home owner had previously been targeted by
men with a sword and a stun gun. Three men have been arrested on
suspicion of conspiracy to murder (Cambridge News, 12 June 2010).
Birmingham Mail, 3 June 2010
Two men have been arrested and
charged with the murder of a man who was found shot dead in Saltley,
Birmingham, in November 1993.
Bristol Evening Post, 3 June 2010
Student Henry Peerless O'Hea
bought a BB gun and shot at passers by
from the window of a flat in Bristol in May 2010. He has
pleaded guilty to common assault and been given a conditional discharge
for one year. One victim was hit causing redness and soreness.
BBC, 3 June 2010
A man armed with a handgun
threatened staff at a shop in Windsor, Berkshire. A small
amount of money was stolen.
This is Nottingham, 2 June 2010
*
A man has been charged with
possessing a firearm, acquiring a shortened
shotgun and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear
of violence. He was arrested at his home in Top Valley,
Nottingham. A man has been jailed for five years (see
July 2010 Incidents).
National Media, 2 June 2010
Twelve people were shot dead
and eleven others wounded after a gunman drove across Cumbria shooting victims.
The gunman then took his own life in Boot. The man was armed with a
shotgun and a .22 rifle. The first
victim, the man's brother, was shot dead in Lumplugh. Other incidents followed in
Frizington, Whitehaven, Egremont,
Wilton, Gosforth, Seascale, Drigg, Eskdale and Boot where the
gunman's body was found. The
perpetrator Derrick Bird had been a licensed gun holder for 20 years (National Media, 3
June 2010).
A fuller account will be
provided later
Lancashire Telegraph, 2 June 2010
Hugh McGeough stole a number
of items, including a ball bearing gun
from an industrial unit in Blackburn, Lancashire. He pleaded
guilty to the burglary which took place in April 2010. Sentencing
was adjourned.
The Gazette, 2 June 2010
A neighbourhood in
Fleetwood, Lancashire, was brought to a standstill as police
surrounded a flat and confiscated an air rifle.
A man was wrecking his home. He was not charged and had returned to
a mental health unit of a hospital where he had been a resident.
Exmouth Herald, 2 June 2010
A flat in Exmouth,
Devon, was targeted in what police believe was an air rifle attack.
A holidaymaker staying at the property believed someone was firing an
air rifle through the lounge window.
BBC, 2 June 2010
A man whose body was found in
a burnt out car in Peckham, south east London, was shot in the
head. Two or three men had been seen running from the fire.
BBC, 2 June 2010
Retailers have been warned by
police not to sell pellet guns to
children. The warning followed the purchase of a gun by a
12-year-old from a gift shop in Torquay, Devon.
BBC, 2 June 2010
A driver was threatened with
what he thought was a gun by two men posing as police officers. The
incident occurred in Ormskirk, Lancashire, when the man pulled over
after a car began flashing its lights. The men demanded cash.
Local Guardian,
1 June 2010
Two teenagers have been
arrested at an address in Walthamstow, north east London, where a
handgun was seized. A 17-year-old was charged with possession of a
firearm and a 14-year-old has been bailed while further enquiries are
made.
BBC, 1 June 2010
A restaurant manager was
threatened with a handgun by two men who entered the upstairs room of the
premises in Brentwood, Essex. She was forced to hand over a
four-figure sum of money.
SCOTLAND
stv,
30 June 2010
A police investigation was
launched after residents in a street in Glasgow reported hearing
gunshots.
BBC, 30 June 2010
John McPhee has admitted
stealing groceries from a shop in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire, in
March 2010. He threatened to shoot a shop worker in the face with a
gas-powered BB gun. He has been
jailed for 40 months.
BBC,
28 June 2010
John James has been jailed for
11 years and two months after drugs, a sawn-off
shotgun and a crossbow were found at his garage in Wishaw,
North Lanarkshire. Martin Dickson who was arrested with James was
sentenced to five years and two months in prison.
Sunday Mail,
27 June 2010
Thirteen children in
Scotland aged 16 and under needed hospital treatment after the
"accidental discharge" of a gun in 2009-10.
Press & Journal,
25 June 2010
Kevin McHugh, 21, was drunk
when he began shooting an airgun into a wall in Muirhead, Angus.
He was at his girlfriend's house where he kept the £800
air rifle under a bed and invited neighbours for a drink before
he started becoming abusive towards his partner. The neighbours
became concerned about his increasing aggression and were scared when he
fired three pellets from the gun. He had pleaded guilty of
committing a breach of the peace and recklessly discharged a firearm.
He was jailed for four months.
Evening News,
22 June 2010
Iain Turnbull held a
fake pistol to the head of his tagging
officer who was trying to fix broken house arrest equipment at Turnbull's
house in Edinburgh. Turnbull was given a custodial sentence
of six months after conceding the prank was in "poor taste".
Herald Scotland,
19 June 2010
A window at a church in
Bridgeton, Glasgow, has been shot with airgun
pellets. The priest believes the attack was an anti-Catholic
sectarian act. Vandals have repeatedly targeted the church.
Paisley Daily Express,
15 June 2010
A
sawn-off shotgun and a pistol were found by police in
Johnstone during a major blitz on violent criminals and drugs dealers
in Renfrewshire. One man was arrested in connection with the
discovery.
Stirling Observer,
11 June 2010
A man has been charged with
being in possession of a firearm in a public place near Lochearnhead,
Perthshire. An air rifle was
found nearby to a group of people camping.
Northern Scot,
11 June 2010
Police are investigating
reports of a gun being fired in a residential area in Elgin,
Morayshire. Firearms were allegedly used and left unattended in a garden.
Paisley Daily Express,
10 June 2010
An arsenal of weapons was
found at a home in Glenburn, Paisley, after a woman told the police
that her husband had pressed a gun against her head during a row. A
rifle and shotgun cartridges were discovered. The man was arrested.
Dumfries Standard,
9 June 2010
A pensioner facing child sex
abuse charges was found dead near his home in Holywood, Dumfries.
A shotgun was lying next to him.
BBC,
9 June 2010
A man who was shot outside his
home in Shotts, North Lanarkshire, later died. Police believe
he was the intended target.
Lennox Herald,
4 June 2010
Jamie Floyd, 19, from
Helensburgh, West Dunbartonshire, threatened his ex-girlfriend and her new
boyfriend, claiming his dad had a shotgun.
He admitted sending offensive text messages and making threats.
Sentencing was deferred.
stv,
2 June 2010
Several
airguns were stolen from a shop in
Kirkcaldy, Fife. It is believed that thieves had forced entry to
the fishing tackle shop.
WALES
Wales Online,
29 June 2010
A 14-year-old was arrested
after three pupils were shot with a BB gun
on the premises of a high school in Cyncoed, Cardiff. The
victims received minor injuries.
The Leader,
28 June 2010
James Bloor has been convicted
of assault, rape, intimidation and possessing an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence. It was claimed
that he produced the air pistol to
scare his victim. At the time Bloor was living in Coedpoeth,
near Wrexham. He has been told he can expect a long jail sentence.
The Leader,
28 June 2010
Peter Maddocks has admitted a
number of drug offences relating to cannabis and possessing a prohibited
stun gun. He claimed he was
looking after the gun for someone else. The gun was found in a safe
when police executed a search warrant at his home in Glenfro,
Wrexham. He has been jailed for a total of 30 months.
BBC,
28 June 2010
A man has been arrested after
allegedly being in possession of a firearm at a house in Abergele,
Conwy. The arrest followed a seven-hour siege. He has been
charged with possessing an imitation firearm. He had a
blank-firing handgun at the house.
This is South Wales,
23 June 2010
A council worker was shot in
the shoulder with an air rifle in
Waunarlwydd, Swansea. He was taken to hospital and his condition
was said to be stable. Damage was also caused to a vehicle.
Police surrounded a terraced house and eye-witnesses said they saw an air
rifle dropped from a window. An 18-year-old woman was arrested in
connection with the shooting. A man was later arrested and charged
with a firearms offence, assault and criminal damage (BBC,
24 June 2010). It is reported that the man thought that owning the
air rifle would be "cool" (This is South Wales, 24 June 2010).
South Wales Argus,
20 June 2010
Police were alerted following
reports of a man with a gun in Newport, Gwent. He was not
found and enquiries were ongoing.
BBC,
11 June 2010
Thomas Williams has been
jailed for life for shooting his sleeping father with a homemade gun at
the family home in Rhydyfro, West Glamorgan. He also stabbed
his father 16 times. The body was discovered in March 2009.
Williams admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished
responsibility.
Flintshire Chronicle,
10 June 2010
Jason Hughes, a former
soldier, triggered an armed police response when he began shooting cans in
his garden in Mostyn, Clywd. He had drunk 15 pints of lager
and other drinks. He admitted possessing the
air rifle in a public place outside his
home and was fined £300 with costs. The gun was confiscated.
Wales Online,
1 June 2010
A man is understood to have
taken his own life with a shotgun in
Pantygog, Mid Glamorgan. His body was found at allotments
near his home. Police confirmed that the death was not being treated
as suspicious.
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury,
30 June 2010
A man has been warned by
police after killing a squirrel in a park in Weston-super-Mare,
Somerset, by shooting an air rifle
from his window. The squirrel was seen to fall from a tree and was
found with a pellet embedded. The shots were being fired just yards
from a children's play area. The police were unable to prosecute
because a witness would not give a statement.
This is Local London, 30 June 2010
A cat has died after being
shot with a pellet gun three times in
the space of a year. Her owner from Bromley, south east
London, is warning other cat owners to be on their guard.
Northern Echo, 29 June 2010
A pet horse has been shot dead
with what is thought to be a shotgun
at paddocks in Gurney Valley, Bishop Auckland in County Durham.
South Wales Evening Post, 28 June 2010
A cat has been shot with an
airgun in Upper Killay, Swansea.
The cat was saved by emergency surgery costing £430. It is reported
that several cats have been shot in Swansea in recent weeks.
Cambridge News, 25 June 2010
A goose has been killed in
what is suspected to be a bizarre drive-by shooting in Stow-cum-Quy,
Cambridgeshire. The incident is the latest in a series to have taken
place there. The goose was found floating in a pond with two pellets
in its neck.
Cumnock Chronicle, 24 June 2010
Vets have removed an
air rifle pellet from the leg of a cat in
Cumnock, Ayrshire. It was at first thought that he had been
attacked by another cat.
Camberley People, 23 June 2010
Two cats have been shot with
air rifles in Camberley,
Surrey. One died as a result of his injuries and was discovered in
his owner's garden. The other cat survived after being found
collapsed on the floor.
BBC, 23 June 2010
A pony kept in stables near
Wellington, Shropshire, has been found injured. He had been shot
in the face with a metal pellet.
Yorkshire Post, 22 June 2010
A reward has been offered for
information on the person who shot dead a female swan with an
air weapon at a country park in
Rotherham, South Yorkshire. She was brooding six eggs at the
time.
This is Wiltshire, 22 June 2010
A number of birds have been
shot in Old Town, Swindon. Two dead cygnets have recently
been found and a third was missing, presumed dead. Other birds have
been found shot dead in the area, including three sparrowhawks.
Maidenhead Advertiser, 21 June 2010
Animals are being shot with an
air rifle by gangs of youths in the
Wraysbury, Berkshire. Last week a cat owner found her pet had a
wound on its head containing a lump which was discovered to be an air
rifle pellet.
Beaconsfield and Buckinghamshire
Advertiser, 21 June 2010
A cat was shot with an
airgun and faces possible amputation of a leg. The cat
was found covered with blood on the driveway of their home in
Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, by the three children who owned the cat.
This is Gloucestershire, 18
June 2010
A pet cat has been shot in the
face with an air rifle pellet.
He was the third cat to have been shot in the street in Northleach,
Gloucestershire, in three years. He likely to lose sight after the
pellet burrowed in through the bone and sinus. The family have had
to spend £850 for surgery.
St Helens Star, 17
June 2010
A cat has been left with a
pellet lodged against her skull after she was shot in the head with an
airgun in Haydock, Merseyside.
The pellet has not been removed so far because the risks of surgery.
Evening Chronicle, 17
June 2010
A family cat could lose its
sight after it was shot with an air rifle
pellet in Edmundbyres, County Durham. The damaged eye may
have to be removed.
Wales Online, 16
June 2010
Dyfed James, a farmer and
former magistrate, has been fined for trapping and shooting a badger which
dug up his garden on the Stackpole Estate, Pembrokeshire. He
shot the animal at close range with a shotgun.
He was given fines and costs totalling almost £3,000.
Telegraph & Argus, 16
June 2010
A cat owner is calling for
more restrictions on air rifles after
his pet was seriously injured. The cat is recovering from a serious
wound to a back leg after being shot on playing fields in Queensbury,
West Yorkshire.
A bone was shattered by a pellet.
East Anglian Daily Times, 16
June 2010
A cat owner in Aldeburgh,
Suffolk, is warning other pet owners to be on their guard after her car
was shot with what is believed to have been an
air rifle. She discovered a pellet lodged in the shoulder
of her pet.
BBC, 16
June 2010
Six seals, some carrying pups,
have been found washed up dead on Bridge of Walls, Shetland, after
apparently being shot. The Scottish SPCA described it as a serious
wildlife crime.
The Advertiser, 14
June 2010
Among a number of cats,
currently at the cattery at the RSPCA centre in Norwich, for whom
homes are being sought is a kitten who was shot with an
airgun. He had a pellet lodged in
his lower jaw which has now been removed.
Express, 12
June 2010
It is reported that gulls in
Peacehaven, East Sussex, are taking revenge for a series of attacks
by youths armed with air rifles.
The birds have become abnormally aggressive after being provoked.
Sevenoaks Chronicle, 10
June 2010
A cat was injured in a
"random" drive-by shooting near Well Hill, Kent. A pellet had
stuck in her neck. The pet was shot on the driveway by passers-by
with an air rifle.
Express & Echo, 9
June 2010
A cat was severely injured in
an air rifle shooting in Polsloe,
Exeter. He was found bleeding and limping. Days earlier a
pellet was fired at a neighbour's door.
Kirkintilloch Herald, 8
June 2010
A cat is recovering after
being hit by an airgun pellet in
Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire. It will cost at least £500
to fix his leg.
Whitby Gazette, 4
June 2010
Police are warning people not
to take the problem into their own hands by shooting seagulls in Whitby,
North Yorkshire. A dead gull was found after gunshots were heard
fired from what is believed to be an air rifle.
Scarborough Evening News, 4
June 2010
A cat undergoing treatment
after being shot in the leg by a pellet gun
in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, has gone missing and needs
to be found as soon as possible to make sure he fully recovers.
The Leader, 4 June 2010
The police are probing a spate
of vicious attacks on pet cats in the Llay area of Wrexham.
Three animals have been shot and poisoned since February. In the
latest attack a cat came home soaked in blood and X-rays later showed he
had been hit three times with bullets rather than airgun pellets.
The Sentinel, 3 June 2010
A cat was shot at point-blank
range with an airgun in Fegg Hayes,
Stoke-on-Trent. He needed emergency surgery to remove a pellet from
his neck.
Kent Online, 3 June 2010
A cat has survived being shot
twice with an air rifle in
Northfleet, Kent. She was shot in the spine and then a day or
two later in the head. A reward is being offered for any information
that leads to conviction.
Yorkshire Evening Post, 1 June 2010
Pet owners have been warned to
be on their guard after a spate of air rifle
attacks on cats in Leeds. A vet from Pudsey says she has
treated four cats in recent weeks.
