SEPTEMBER 2008
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
Lancashire Telegraph, 30 September 2008
A gang of four men
threatened the resident of a house in Darwen, Lancashire, and
then fired a gun shot in the street. Police are investigating
whether the shooting was gang motivated. Neither the gun nor a
bullet has been recovered.
BBC, 30 September 2008
A masked gang robbed
security guards delivering money to cash machines in Boston,
Lincolnshire. One guard was kicked in the face and an object which
may have been a gun was seen during the raid. Four cases of money
were taken.
Wirral Globe, 29 September 2008
A man was shot in the leg in
Birkenhead in another 'targeted shooting' in Merseyside. He
was taken to hospital where his condition is not thought to be life
threatening.
News Shopper, 29 September 2008
Rohan Smith, Stephen Noel,
Darren Welch and Lloyd Brook all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob and
possession of a firearm after an attempted armed robbery at a jewellery
shop in Oxted, Surrey, in April 2008. They threatened
workers with a handgun but were thwarted by police officers at the
scene. Noel was given six years for conspiracy to rob, with three
years for possession of a firearm to run concurrently, the others all
received 10 year and four year sentences to run concurrently.
Kent Online, 29 September 2008
Armed police went to a
property in Chatham, Kent, after reports that a man at the house
had been spotted with a firearm.
BBC, 29 September 2008
A man has been taken to
hospital with serious head injuries after a shooting in Wickham
Skieth, Suffolk. A man from the village has been arrested on
suspicion of offences under the Firearms Act.
BBC, 29 September 2008 *
Three people, two men and a
woman, were taken to hospital following a shooting at a club in
Bilston, West Midlands. One man was released from hospital
after treatment, the other two victims are in a stable condition.
Two men, one aged 17, have been charged with possession of a firearm
with intent to endanger life, possession of a firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence and violent disorder (BBC, 30 October
2008).
Lancashire Evening Post, 27 September 2008
A car window was targeted in
a suspected shooting incident at a builders' merchants in Leyland,
Lancashire. It appears that an air rifle
had been fired and caused the window to shatter.
BBC, 27 September 2008
A man was shot in the leg in
what police say was a "targeted" shooting in Croxteth, Liverpool.
He was taken to hospital but his injuries are not thought to be life
threatening.
BBC, 27 September 2008
Two security van guards were
threatened by a man with a gun at a supermarket in Windsor,
Berkshire. He forced them to hand over a cashbox and was driven
off in a waiting car. No-one was injured.
BBC, 27 September 2008
A 19-year-old was being
treated in hospital for a groin wound after a shooting at a
nightclub in Stokes Croft, Bristol.
Gazette (Blackpool), 26 September 2008
There have been two
airgun
attacks on seafront trams in Fleetwood, Lancashire, in less than
a week. In the latest a passenger was showered with broken glass
and many passengers were left "cowering in fear". Two days earlier
another tram had been targeted and a door was damaged. This
follows two earlier attacks on trams in Rossall in July (see
Incidents).
BBC, 26 September 2008
Brett Dolan, 18, has been
jailed for five years after police found a sawn off shotgun during a
search at his home in South Shields, Tyneside, in June 2008.
The weapon was hidden under his bed. The sentence was the
mandatory minimum for possession of a prohibited weapon and the judge
said he could not find in this case the type of exceptional
circumstances required to stray from imposing the minimum term (Northern
Echo, 26 September 2008).
BBC, 26 September 2008
An SA80 assault rifle was
lost during an army training exercise on Dartmoor, Devon. A
radio was also missing. A military police investigation is under
way.
Press Association, 26 September 2008
A man was arrested after a
police car was blasted with a shotgun as officers followed a stolen
vehicle in Salford, Greater Manchester. The pursuit ended
with a gunman forcing his way into a house where he was arrested on
suspicion of attempted murder. A shotgun was recovered.
Evening Telegraph (Derby), 25 September 2008
A man was arrested after
primary school pupils were shown a gun whilst they were visiting
Willington Marina, Derbyshire. He was arrested on suspicion of
possession of an air rifle, but was
released without charge after being questioned by police.
Evening Standard, 25 September 2008
A patient held up an
ambulance at gunpoint and threatened to kill its crew before taking the
vehicle and crashing it into five cars. He pulled an
imitation handgun on the crew as they
were transferring him from his home in Dagenham, east London, to
hospital in Romford. The problem may have been sparked by the
patient's unhappiness at the choice of hospital. A man has been
charged with two counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent
to cause fear of violence, making threats to kill, aggravated vehicle
taking, using a motor vehicle without insurance and driving otherwise
then in accordance with the licence.
BBC, 25 September 2008
A man has been seriously
injured in a shooting in Stockport, Greater Manchester. He
needed emergency treatment for gunshot wounds to his chest and leg and
was described as being in a poorly condition in hospital. A man has been
arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder (BBC, 29
September 2008).
BBC, 25 September 2008
Train services were
disrupted as police investigated a firearms incident near Rugby
station, Warwickshire. "Heavy duty ball
bearings" which had the potential to cause serious or fatal
injury were fired at a lorry which was damaged. No-one was hurt in
the incident, but trains were suspended for more than three hours.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 24 September 2008
A man wanted by police in
Northamptonshire for the past nine years has been sentenced in his
absence. Erich Ryan failed to turn up at court in December 1999 to
be sentenced for theft and possession of an
airgun. He is now subject to a 12-month conditional
discharge.
Horncastle News, 24 September 2008
Two guns have been stolen
during a raid on a gun shop in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.
The weapons taken were Pietta 44 calibre and Eurolion (a
Colt 45 replica) revolvers. The guns were removed from
a safe, along with some cash. Around 35 tubs and tubes containing
400 ball-bearing (BB) pellets were
also stolen along with around 100 CO2
cylinders suitable for air pistols.
Express & Star, 24 September 2008
A court has heard that a
loaded 9 mm pistol was among items discovered at a house in Bushbury,
Wolverhampton, being used as the headquarters of a heroin and cocaine
dealing enterprise. The gun was found during a raid in July 2007.
One man who lived at the house denies two counts of possessing drugs
with intent to supply, a second man has pleaded guilty to the same
charges, but pleads guilty to converting criminal property. His
grandmother denies possession of criminal property. The two men
deny possession of a firearm, ammunition and criminal property, relating
to cash that was found. The trial continues.
Evening Chronicle, 24 September 2008
A teenage girl is recovering
after she was shot in the head by an airgun
shooter while playing on a trampoline in her back garden in Morpeth,
Northumberland. A man has been charged with assault and a woman
with incitement to unlawfully wound.
BBC, 24 September 2008
A man has been taken to
hospital after a shooting in Harehills, Leeds. The victim
is understood to have been shot in the chest but his injuries are not
thought to be life-threatening.
Evening Courier, 23 September 2008
A man threatened a woman
shop worker with a gun during an armed robbery in Buttershaw,
West Yorkshire. He is believed to have been carrying a silver
handgun. The suspect left empty-handed after she woman and a
colleague refused to hand over any money.
BBC, 23 September 2008 *
Graham Calvert of
Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, has admitted illegally possessing
a handgun and possessing cocaine. He has been jailed for two years
(BBC, 21 October 2008).
Weston & Somerset Mercury, 22 September 2008
Two men were shot with
pellets from an air rifle at a
friend's birthday party at a social club in Weston-super-Mare.
Both were treated at the scene but agree they were lucky to escape with
superficial injuries and that none of the 20 children present were shot.
About seven pellets were found on the floor.
Telegraph, 22 September 2008
Michael Diamantis pulled a
handgun on his 17-year-old victim and shot him in the stomach when a
chance meeting turned into a bitter row in Tottenham, north
London, in August 2007 (see
Incidents). The bullet passed through the victim's arm,
shredded his spleen and he was only saved and an emergency operation to
remove the damaged organ. Diamantis was caught after people at the
mosque to which he escaped were concerned about his agitated manner.
He admitted grievous bodily harm with intent, possession of a firearm
and possession of ammunition and was jailed for a total of ten years.
His girlfriend Monica Conceicao was given a suspended jail sentence
after hiding the gun under a bed.
BBC, 22 September 2008 *
A teenager was shot in the
eye at close range with an airgun in
Leyland, Lancashire. He remains in a stable condition in
hospital. A 20-year-old is due to appear in court. He has
been charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life,
wounding and offering to supply drugs. The victim has had to
undergo risky surgery to remove the pellet but may still lose his eye in
the future (Lancashire Evening Post, 4 October 2008).
The Argus (Brighton), 22 September 2008
A man preparing to hang
himself was arrested after he raised a .22 air
rifle when officers rushed to his house in Eastbourne,
Sussex, having been told he intended to kill himself. He shouted
at them to 'Get out of my house' before appearing with the gun.
John Potter has been convicted of having a firearm with intent to cause
a police officer to believe unlawful violence would be used against him
and has been warned he faces a jail sentence (Bexhill-on-Sea Observer,
30 September 2008).
BBC, 21 September 2008 *
A man has died in hospital
and his wife left with gunshot wounds following a double shooting at
their home in Porth Kea, Cornwall. A man, believed to be
the former boyfriend of the couple's daughter, has been arrested and
taken to hospital with self-inflicted injuries, apparently after
shooting himself with a .22 rifle (Times, 22 September 2008). A firearm believed
to have been used in the shootings has been recovered. It has been
revealed that the suspect is a former RAF serviceman who had been sacked
from the family business. The weapon used was apparently a
high-velocity hunting rifle (Mail, 23 September 2008). A
man has been charged with murder and attempted murder (BBC, 14
November 2008).
Northern Echo, 20 September 2008
Steven Ferguson terrified an
ex-girlfriend and twice fired an air weapon at her new boyfriend.
He entered her home in Ferryhill, County Durham, in May 2008, and
refused to leave. He then picked up a .22
air rifle he had left near the door and fired a pellet into
her boyfriend's leg and then again as she was phoning the police.
Further shots were fired by Ferguson. He admitted two counts of
possessing a firearm with intent to cause a fear of violence and one of
possessing a firearm when prohibited. He has been jailed for three
years and the weapon, which he had been using to shoot stones, must be
forfeited and destroyed.
This is Wiltshire, 19 September 2008
Adam Salsbury, 19, armed
himself with his gas-powered air pistol
and shot a man after a drunken row over a girl. He sent text
messages telling his friend 'You're dead' and burst into his friend's
home in Calne, Wiltshire, and started firing the gun. He
shot a man in the chest and was still shooting as he left the scene.
The incident took place on New Year's Day. Salsbury pleaded guilty
to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, common
assault, actual bodily harm and criminal damage. He has been
jailed for 18 months.
This is South Devon, 19 September 2008
A shotgun was among items
seized by police during a morning raid on caravans and land in
Bickington, Devon. The raid was prompted by intelligence
indicating stolen goods may have been kept there. A man was being
question by officers after being arrested on suspicion of unlawful
possession of a firearm.
Newbury Weekly News, 19 September 2008
When three men were
approached by a security guard after he spotted them trespassing on
private land in Tadley, Hampshire, one of them threatened him
with a handgun. Detectives have released e-fit images of men they
would like to speak to.
BBC, 19 September 2008
A man has been arrested in
connection with an incident in St Ann's, Nottingham, in which a
firearm was reported to have been discharged. There were no
reports that anyone was injured.
BBC, 19 September 2008
A man was attacked with a
stun gun during a robbery outside a pub in Kings Langley,
Hertfordshire, when his car and cash were stolen by a man who got into
the passenger seat.
BBC, 19 September 2008
Forty people have been
arrested in Knowsley, Merseyside, as part of a crackdown on gun
crime, violence and anti-social behaviour.
Lancashire Evening Post, 18 September 2008
Two teenagers have been
attacked in a suspected gunpoint robbery in Deepdale, Preston.
Police believe the same men could be responsible for various incidents
in the area in recent weeks. During the incident one victim was
shown a black object inside one of the robbers' jacket which he believed
to be a gun.
BBC, 18 September 2008
Two people, a man and a
woman, have been arrested on suspicion of firearms and drugs offences
after a police search of a property in Bardfield Saling, Essex.
A number of firearms were found.
This is Derbyshire, 17 September 2008
An 11-year-old boy suffered
minor injuries when he was hit in the chest by pellets from a
BB gun in a street in Alvaston,
Derbyshire. The gun was seized and a 14-year-old boy was arrested
and then released on police bail.
Swindon Advertiser, 17 September 2008
Mark Parker has had his
appeal against the length of his 5-year jail sentence dismissed.
He was sentenced after admitting possessing a prohibited weapon which he
claimed to have acquired to 'spite his ex-wife and to assert his
new-found independence'. Parker, an airman from RAF Lyneham,
Wiltshire, had bought a 12-bore shotgun and cartridges as a 'trophy' following a
our of duty in Iraq.
Royston Crow, 17 September 2008
An inquest has opened into
the death of a man who died following a gunshot wound to the head.
He was found at his home in Arrington, Cambridgeshire.
BBC, 17 September 2008
Three masked men armed with
a shotgun and a lump hammer raided and garage and threatened staff in
West Timperley, Greater Manchester. They intimidated staff and
security guards who were collecting cash before stealing cigarettes.
This is Wiltshire, 16 September 2008
Kevin Major, who collects
airguns and crossbows, trashed his house in Penhill,
Swindon, and assaulted his wife, and was also accused of pointing an
air rifle at a police woman in January 2008 (see
Incidents).
He apparently smashed the windscreen of a police patrol car with the
barrel of the gun. He admitted three counts of criminal damage but denied possessing a
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and common assault on his
wife. The jury found him not guilty of the firearm charge but
convicted him of common assault (Swindon Advertiser, 18 September
2008).
This is Nottingham, 16 September 2008
John Tattersall from
Kirkby-in-Ashfield has been jailed for a total of 22 years for
arson, firearm and drugs supply charges, the sentences to run
concurrently. He surrendered to police in February 2008. All
the component parts of a .22 rifle, with the butt, barrel and stock sawn
off, a sawn-off shotgun and a substantial amount of ammunition were
found at his home.
This is Exeter, 16 September 2008
A man who smuggled an
imitation pistol into the country has been fined £500 for brandishing it
during a late-night street scuffle in Newton Abbot, Devon (see Incidents).
The recorder agreed with his claim that he had used the weapon in
defence of himself or his girlfriend. Nikolajus Cerenievas brought
the 9mm self-loading blank-firing pistol in his case from Russia.
See August 2008 Incidents.
Telegraph & Argus, 16 September 2008
David Pringle, 19, has been
given a four-month home curfew following a late-night gun "prank" at a
campsite in Carleton, North Yorkshire, in June 2008. He
dressed up in combat-style clothing and was carrying a friend's .22
air rifle when he confronted another
young man, pointing the gun at him and swearing at him numerous times.
The complainant was terrified.
Newham Recorder, 16 September 2008
Mohammed Janab has been
jailed for six years after chasing another man out of a petrol station
forecourt in Forest Gate, east London, brandishing a sawn-off
shotgun. The incident followed a fight in April 2008. Janab
was convicted after pleading not guilty. Ismail Nazir who was with
him at the time pleaded guilty to possession of a shotgun and was
jailed for five years.
Hemel Today, 16 September 2008
A security guard has been
left fighting for his life after being shot during an armed raid at a
supermarket in Tring, Hertfordshire. A shopper who tried to
intervene was also shot. He is being treated in hospital and his
injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
BBC, 16 September 2008
Three armed raiders forced a
security van guard to lie on the floor while another pointed a gun at
his colleague's head during a raid at a building society branch in
Andover, Hampshire. The men snatched a cash box. The
guards were not harmed or injured but were shaken by the incident.
BBC, 16 September 2008
Armed robbers attacked a man
with a stun gun after they forced their way into his home in
Prestwich, Manchester. They also used CS spray. The two
teenage robbers stole two computers, a phone and cash in the raid.
BBC, 16 September 2008
Two men, including a former
Metropolitan Police officer, have been charged over a robbery at a
betting shop in Ilford, east London. A staff member was
threatened with a gun.
BBC, 16 September 2008
A man has been arrested
following a shooting at a pub in Chapel House, Newcastle, a few
days earlier. The victim was treated for a gunshot wound to the
lower stomach and is recovering well.
West Sussex Gazette, 15 September 2008
*
The body of the landlord of a
pub in Fernhurst, Sussex, was discovered in a room at the pub
when staff arrived to open the pub. It appears he had taken his
own life using a shotgun. An inquest heard that the man had killed
himself after becoming depressed by mounting debts and the strain of
running the business (Wales Online, 17 December 2008).
This is Wiltshire, 15 September 2008
Lewis Sanders, 18,
brandished a ball bearing gun
fashioned like an M16 assault rifle at a neighbour in Calne in
June 2008. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent
to cause fear of violence. He has been jailed for nine months (Gazette
& Herald, 13 October 2008).
BBC, 15 September 2008
A man has been charged with
having an imitation firearm with
intent to commit an offence and with possession of an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence after a teenager was threatened
with a handgun in Chalvey, Berkshire, in July.
Sunday Express, 14 September 2008
Cecil Stephens carried out a
raid at a post office in North Newbald, East Yorkshire, whilst on
day release from a semi-open prison in December 2007. He
bludgeoned the postmaster but left empty handed. He has been found
guilty of attempted robbery and possessing an
imitation firearm. His girlfriend Doreen Cramman was
found guilty of attempted robbery as his getaway driver. Stephens
has been jailed for at least six years for attempted robbery (Mirror,
18 October 2008).
The Journal, 14 September 2008
A teenager was threatened
and had a .22 calibre air rifle
thrust into his face when he was robbed for a portion of chip in
Ouston, Country Durham.
The Star, 13 September 2008
A masked man armed with a
shotgun burst into a bookmakers in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and
demanded cash. He got away with just over £100.
Bolton News, 13 September 2008 *
Anthony Horrocks, 20, has
been found guilty of two counts of possessing a prohibited firearm and
three counts of possessing ammunition without the correct authority.
The guns were found during a raid on a house in Halliwell,
Bolton, where he was living. The police were alerted to him after
video footage was uploaded to his YouTube site in which he claimed
he filmed himself loading a handgun. He has been sentenced to five
years in a young offenders institute (Fleetwood Weekly News, 27
November 2008).
BBC, 13 September 2008
A man has been arrested on
suspicion of attempted murder after another man was shot in the leg in
Tipton, West Midlands. The victim was taken to hospital
where his condition was described as stable.
Newbury Today, 12 September 2008
A loaded gun and more than
£40,000 in cash was found by police in a raid on an illegal waste
operator in Aldermaston, Berkshire. Four men were arrested,
two of whom have been charged with firearms offences.
BBC, 12 September 2008
Two men armed with a small
handgun stole cash boxes after threatening a security guard at a shop in
Rusthall, Kent. No-one was injured.
BBC, 12 September 2008
A man was threatened with a
shotgun during a carjacking in Norris Green, Liverpool. He
was driving a van when a man flagged him down and then threatened him.
Five men surrounded the driver's side and attacked him. The victim
suffered minor injuries.
Gazette, 11 September 2008
Jonathan Ewing, who fired an
airgun at two brothers in
Colchester, Essex, in August 2007, has been jailed for six years.
One victim was shot at 34 times and still has pellets in his head.
His younger brother who was aged 13 was also shot in the head, and both
victims were pistol-whipped. Ewing had gone to their house to
collect a debt which was nothing to do with the brothers and had been
taking a cocktail of drugs and alcohol.
BBC, 11 September 2008
A man was arrested under the
Firearms Act after a three-hour siege in Liskeard, Cornwall.
Police were called after reports of a man with a knife and a handgun
threatening to harm himself.
BBC, 11 September 2008
Two self-loading pistols
were recovered from a property in Moss Side, Manchester, when
police executed a search warrant. Two women and a man were
arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm.
This is South Devon, 10 September 2008
A window of a cafe on
Paignton Pier has been peppered with seven shots, possibly from a
ball bearing gun.
Southwark News,
9 September 2008
Two teenagers, both aged 17,
who mugged three people at gunpoint in Greenland Quay, south-east
London, in September 2007 have been given sentences of seven years
(after pleading guilty to robbery and possessing a firearm) and four
years (after pleading guilty to robbery and a possession of a prohibited
weapon). They pointed a converted Brocock revolver loaded with
live ammunition at the chest of one of the victims before stealing a
small sports bag and a mobile phone.
Loughborough News,
9 September 2008
A major investigation has
been launched by police after a firearm was discharged in Wigston
Fields, Leicester. A number of shots were fired following an
altercation between the residents of a house and a number of people who
had arrived at the address. A number of cartridges have been
recovered. Four people have been arrested (BBC, 9 September
2008).
Chad (Mansfield),
9 September 2008
Damage estimated at £1000
was caused when an airgun was fired
at street lights in Meden Vale, Nottinghamshire.
BBC,
9 September 2008
Staff at a shop in
Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, were threatened with a gun and an
axe during an armed robbery. Two men ordered them to get on the
floor and stole cash and cigarettes.
BBC,
9 September 2008
An elderly woman has been
robbed at gunpoint by two men as she was walking along a street in
Norris Green, Liverpool. One man threatened her with what is
believed to be a handgun and grabbed at her handbag, knocking her to the
ground.
Guardian (Epping Forest, Waltham Forest, Wanstead & Woodford),
8 September 2008
A doorman at a nightclub in
South Woodford (north-east London) suffered a bullet wound to the
leg when a gunman opened fire on him. He had been approached by
two men, aged between 18 and 20, with scarves and hoods.
BBC, 8 September 2008
Two men sparked an armed
response in Southend, Essex, when they were seen carrying guns
and dressed in dark clothing as they were entering an office block.
Worried members of the public dialled 999 and police surrounded the
building. The men who were armed with
imitation guns were involved in an "organised activity", part
of a team-building exercise. They were "offered suitable words of
advice" by police.
Evening Star, 7 September 2008
A diver found a sawn-off
shotgun while he was helping to clear rubbish from the River Gipping in
Ipswich. The gun was discovered in a rusty condition in
some mud.
Worcester News, 6 September 2008
Patrick Gaffiero from
Headley Heath, Worcestershire, has been given an eight-month
suspended prison sentence for keeping a pump-action shotgun. He
had admitted keeping the gun without a licence and possessing a stun
gun. He has been sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work and made
the subject of a two-year supervision requirement.
Liverpool Echo, 6 September 2008
Five people were arrested in
police raids after a number of incidents across Knowsley.
In two of the incidents a shot was fired through the windscreen of a
taxi and two men on a motorcycle opened fire into the air.
Burnham-On-Sea.com, 6 September 2008
An
airgun pellet was fired through a window at a store in
Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset. The supermarket have played it down saying
it was a very minor incident.
BBC, 6 September 2008
A man has been taken to
hospital after he was shot in the back in Newtown, Birmingham.
His condition was described as serious but not life threatening.
This is Croydon, 5 September 2008
A man has described how he
escaped with his life after being shot in the head at his home in
Addiscombe, south London, last month. The bullet ricocheted
off his skull when he ducked as one of two attackers pulled the trigger
on the gun.
Lynn News, 5 September 2008
Tom Smith was released by
police after driving at pedestrians, being involved in a high-speed
chase and ranting about terrorists in January 2008, but the next day he
forced a woman out of her car in Bridgham, Norfolk, by poking an
air rifle through the window.
He got into the car and accelerated it towards her. The victim
still suffers from the effects of the ordeal. Smith, who was
described as delusional, has now been jailed for two years.
Norwich Evening News, 5 September 2008
In the latest of a spate of
airgun shootings in the Norwich area a bus was shot at with what is
believed to have been an airgun
while travelling along the Acle straight. Although the bus
window did not smash, there were two small holes in it and two pellets
were found in the vehicle.
Daily Mail, 5 September 2008
A toddler was in hospital
after being shot in the head with an air rifle by his father in
Hayes,
west London. The 2-year-old boy is believed to have been hit while
playing in the family's garden as he ran out in front of his father, who
was shooting targets. A man has been arrested on suspicion of
causing actual bodily harm. The boy was in a 'stable but non-life
threatening' condition.
Evening Courier, 4 September 2008
Three men have been arrested
after brandishing a sawn-off shotgun outside a pub in Elland,
West Yorkshire. They were arrested on suspicion of possessing a
firearm. Police were unable to confirm if the gun was used at this
stage. Two men have not been charged with firearms offences and a
third man is due to appear in court charged with possessing a firearm (Evening
Courier, 8 September 2008).
Echo (Essex), 4 September 2008
Four residents of
Westcliff were robbed at gunpoint during a series of crimes.
Tobacco was taken from one victim and a suitcase full of women's
handbags from another. A teenager has been arrested on suspicion
of a public order offence and robbery.
BBC, 4 September 2008
A police firearms officer
left a gun in the toilets of a coffee shop in central London.
It was found by a member of the public. The female officer
concerned has now been removed from operational duties.
This is Nottingham, 3 September 2008
Makan Martin Dayll has lost
his bid to get a reduction in his ten-year sentence for possessing a
gun. He was convicted of possessing a revolver and ammunition in
February 2008 after being stopped by armed police in The Meadows,
Nottingham, in August 2007 and found to have a loaded .45 calibre
revolver stashed in a bin liner.
Telegraph, 3 September 2008
A group of men are accused
of holding two other men hostage at an address in Thamesmead,
south east London, and demanding a ransom of £75,000 after they abducted
them at gunpoint from a sports store in West London and bundled
them into a car. The victims were kept in a car boot for six days
before being rescued by police.
Press Association, 3 September 2008
Dwayne Dinnall was caught as
he tried to leave Dagenham Heathway station, east London, in June
(see Incidents)
with a gas-powered gun and a seven-inch kitchen knife in his bag.
He had previous convictions for possession of guns and knives and
pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm. He has been jailed for
five years.
Lancashire Telegraph, 3 September 2008
Police found a loaded
shotgun in the front garden of a house in Chorley, Lancashire,
after an anonymous tip-off. They arrested a man and a woman, who lived
at the house, and another man, but were all released on bail pending
examination of the weapon.
Lancashire Telegraph, 3 September 2008
A man who allegedly
brandished a handgun after a late night party in Waterfoot,
Lancashire, is being sought by police. Police are unsure whether
the gun was real or not. No-one was injured but a number of
vehicles and a house window were broken, although no shots were fired.
Bromsgrove Standard, 3 September 2008
Daniel Simon was one of
three men who burst into a home in Frankley, Birmingham, in
January 2008, threatened a family with a sawn-off shotgun and demanded
cash. He was convicted of aggravated burglary for which he was
given nine years in jail, and possession of an
imitation firearm for which he was given a six-year term to
run concurrently. The robbers had escaped with valuable items
including a flat screen TV.
Birmingham Mail, 3 September 2008
Police recovered a loaded
pistol from a house in Handsworth, Birmingham. A stun gun
was also found. A man was arrested and taken into custody.
Wirral Globe, 2 September 2008
Police recovered a
single-barrelled shotgun during a search of a house in Birkenhead.
A woman and four men have been arrested on suspicion of firearms
offences.
Telegraph & Argus, 2 September 2008
A shopkeeper fired a
ball bearing gun at a boy as the
youngster ran off with a chocolate bar from the shop in Keighley,
West Yorkshire. He pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily
harm and was given a conditional discharge for 12 months, fined £250 and
order to pay £100 compensation to his victim.
London Informer, 2 September 2008
A man was robbed at gunpoint
in Earl's Court, west London, on his way to a takeaway. The
robber asked for money and the victim's phone.
Liverpool Echo, 2 September 2008
Armed police surrounded the
home of a man in his 80s in Stockbridge Village, Liverpool, for
five hours after reports that a gunman was inside. An
imitation gun was recovered. It
is believed that the gunman had fled the property before police arrived.
BBC, 2 September 2008
Detectives investigating
three deaths at a burnt out house in Maesbrook, Shropshire, (see
August 2008 Incidents)
have now said that they believe that his wife and daughter were killed
by Christopher Foster who then killed himself. His wife is known
to have died from a gunshot wound to the head and his legally-owned
rifle was found close the remains of his and his wife's body. CCTV has
revealed a man "clearly believed to be Foster" walking around with what
appears to be a rifle in his hands. He was seen to shoot out two
of the tyres of a horsebox used to block the main gates to the premises.
Previous reports described Foster as a weekly regular at Shropshire Clay
Pigeon Shooting Association who took up country pursuits such as
shooting (BBC, 28 August 2008).
BBC, 2 September 2008
A man has died four weeks
after being found with a gunshot wound following a drive-by shooting in
Ladywood Middleway, Birmingham (see
August 2008 Incidents).
This is Nottingham, 1 September 2008 *
A man armed with a handgun
forced staff at a bookmakers in Heanor to hand over cash.
He was armed with an imitation handgun
and has now been jailed for nine years (see
December 2008 Incidents).
Bromsgrove Standard, 1 September 2008
A teenager suffered wounds
to his back and bottom after being shot with an
air rifle or
BB gun in Wythall, Worcestershire. The 14-year-old was
targeted by two other boys as he was walking in the street.
BBC, 1 September 2008
Nineteen-year-old Joel
Johnson has admitted possessing a firearm and causing grievous bodily
harm with intent for firing at a police officer during an operation in
New Cross, south-east London, in December 2007 (see
Incidents).
The officer sustained an injury to his hand. He was ordered to
serve a minimum term of eight years.
SCOTLAND
Press & Journal, 25 September 2008
Armed police officers
swooped on Balintore, Easter Ross, after receiving reports that a
man had discharged what is believed to be an
air rifle towards a house. By the time they arrived at
the scene a teenager, believed to have been in possession of a gun, had
fled the scene but was found later. Police have detained four
people and recovered an air rifle.
BBC, 24 September 2008
A gun has been fired outside
a bar in Broomhouse, Edinburgh. Police investigating the
incident say it may be linked to an earlier shotgun attack on a taxi
(see below). Two men have been arrested (BBC, 28 September
2008).
Evening Express, 23 September 2008
More than 200
airguns have been handed in to
Grampian Police since the start of 2007. They were among 840
firearms given up.
Evening Times, 18 September 2008
A man feared he would die
after being blasted with a stun gun and repeatedly stabbed after an
attack by two men in the West End of Glasgow. The stabbing
occurred after he had been shot with the Taser and thrown to the ground.
Evening News, 18 September 2008
A man needed hospital
treatment after being shot with an airgun
in a drive by shooting in Broxburn, West Lothian.
BBC, 17 September 2008
Joseph Carragher was offered
two stolen shotguns by a stranger in Inverness who approached him
asking for drugs and then asked him to find a buyer for the weapons.
The guns had been taken during a break-in at a house. He pleaded
guilty to resetting two shotguns and failing to have a firearms
certificate. He will be sentenced next month.
BBC, 15 September 2008
Fashionable bullet belts and
imitation gun belts are among items
causing security problems at Edinburgh Airport. The police
are calling for common sense to come before fashion sense. Belt
buckles in the shape of guns are banned at the airport.
BBC, 15 September 2008
A shotgun was fired at the
rear of a taxi in Granton, Edinburgh. The vehicle was
extensively damaged. Initially there was no indication as to the
motivation behind the attack.
Daily Record, 13 September 2008 *
Vernon White has admitted
importing a stun gun into the UK and was fined £300. He was caught
at Edinburgh Airport where he was stopped in February 2008.
Friends in South Africa had bought him the gun because they were worried
for his safety in his new neighbourhood in Leith.
Evening Times, 12 September 2008 *
A 16-year-old was caught
with a sawn-off shotgun in Glasgow's East End during an incident
in January 2008. Billy Gibson was seen throwing the gun away on
CCTV. He has admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon.
Billy Gibson has been given a three year sentence (Daily Record,
15 October 2008).
Scotsman, 11 September 2008
A young mother and her baby
were sitting next the window of a bus when it came under suspected
gunfire in Edinburgh. The window was shattered by what she
believes was an airgun pellet.
Other passengers reported seeing one or two people running away.
Press & Journal, 10 September 2008
A child was shot in the neck
by an airgun pellet as he took part
in a Stonehaven school's sponsored walk. A fifth-year pupil
caught carrying the weapon was immediately apprehended by staff and is
now suspended from the school. The injured pupil was treated by a
member of staff.
Evening Times, 8 September 2008
The paper has obtained
information about four separate gun-related crimes involving children
which took place in Strathclyde in the first three months of this
year. An eight-year-old boy was caught carrying a gun by police
and reported for a firearms offence. Two Glasgow youths
were reported for possessing a firearm with the intent to endanger life
and a 15-year-old boy was reported for the same offence in
Lanarkshire.
BBC, 5 September 2008
A female staff member was
threatened with a gun during an attempted robbery at a bank in Dundee.
No-one was injured and nothing was stolen.
Evening News (Edinburgh), 4 September 2008
Natalie Hendry of
Gilmerton has admitted possession of an offensive weapon, a
replica firearm. Police involved
in investigating a disturbance over a drug deal found her hiding in a
stairwell of a block of flats and when they search her they found the
gun, a metal pole and a dart. She claimed she had been given them
to hold by a man. She will be sentenced next month.
Daily Record, 3 September 2008
A fatal accident inquiry has
heard that a gunman died after being disarmed by two off-duty policemen
in a working men's club in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, in
April 2006 (see Incidents).
Walter Sample was later discovered to have been carrying an
imitation firearm. The inquiry
continues.
WALES
This is South Wales, 16 September 2008 *
A man has admitted
brandishing an air rifle in public
as dozens of pupils made their way to school in Gowerton in June
2008 (see Incidents).
Dean Barratt admitted possessing an air rifle with intention of causing
people to fear unlawful violence would be used. A teenager was
formally found not guilty. The men had been camping in a tent on
parkland close to the school. He has been sent to prison for 16
months (South Wales Evening Post, 27 September 2008).
Wales Online, 9 September 2008
A man was arrested on
suspicion of possessing a firearm after someone was apparently spotted
waving a gun out of the window of a car at Rhigos Mountain near
Aberdare.
Daily Post, 3 September 2008
Replica guns and air weapons
were among items seized in an undercover sting on an outdoor market in
Towyn, North Wales. One woman was arrested for having 26
boxed replica BB guns.
Wales Online, 1 September 2008
The Independent Police
Complaints Commission has found no criminal or conduct issues following
an investigation into the shooting by Gwent Police of Brinley Watkins.
Watkins was shot following a siege at his house in Rassau, Ebbw
Vale, in June 2007 (see
Incidents). Officers had been called to the scene after
Watkins had told a 999 operator he had a .48 calibre gun and a shotgun.
He pointed a gun at police and later ran out the house with the weapon
which was in fact a faulty airgun.
A marksman fired a single bullet into his abdomen. He underwent
lifesaving surgery and was later jailed for two years after pleading
guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear
of violence. For more details see
November 2007 Incidents.
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
Weston & Somerset Mercury, 30 September 2008
Two youngsters aged 11-12
were seen shooting at swans with BB guns
in Clevedon, Somerset. One of the birds had been shot in
the eye and blinded. The previous week two ducks were shot and had
to be put out of their misery.
Kent Online, 29 September 2008
A cat in Maidstone,
Kent, has been shot with an air rifle.
A vet's X-ray revealed a pellet embedded in his hind leg.
BBC, 29 September 2008
A horse is believed to have
been shot dead in a field in Godstone, Surrey. It appeared
to have received a single shot to the neck. The incident has been
descried as a "wanton act of animal cruelty".
BBC, 26 September 2008
A dead badger was found in
the Towednack area of St Ives, Cornwall. A bullet was
recovered during a post-mortem examination and police are investigating.
It is a criminal offence to wilfully kill a badger.
Daily Echo, 17 September 2008
A pet owner from
Christchurch, Dorset, has spoken of her horror at seeing her cat
covered in blood after he was shot with an air
rifle. The cat will have to live with a pellet inside
him.
Bracknell Forest Standard, 16 September 2008
A kitten is starting to make
a recovery after being shot twice with an
airgun in Sandhurst, Berkshire, last month. His
owners have had to spend almost £1500 on treatment.
Daily Post, 13 September 2008
A cat was in intensive care
after being shot with an airgun in
Panycae, near Wrexham. The pellet punctured her intestine.
Bognor Regis Observer, 12 September 2008
An
airgun pellet partially blinded a cat when she was shot in
the head in Felpham in Bognor Regis, Sussex.
Skegness Standard, 11 September 2008
A cat had to be put down
after it was shot with an air rifle
in Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire. The pet was found by its
owner with a severe injury to its back and a pellet was lodged in the
spine.
Norwich Evening News, 5 September 2008
A cat is unlikely to fully
recover despite have two major operations and skin grafts after being
found near its home in Hellesdon, Norwich, with wounds in his
side, presumably due to an airgun
pellet.
Todmorden News, 4 September 2008
A pet cat was shot and left
seriously injured by an airgun pellet.
The cat was found in the street in Todmorden, West Yorkshire,
suffering a potentially fatal injury to his bladder. His owner has
warned other pet owners in Calderdale and told anyone with airguns that
they needed to know that their actions could prove fatal to pets.
This is Bristol, 4 September 2008
A cat's life was saved by
vets after it was seriously injured when shot with an
airgun in Bradley Stoke,
Bristol. The vet found an airgun pellet embedded in his chest and
the cat had also suffered injuries to his diaphragm, liver and gall
bladder.
Somerset County Gazette, 4 September 2008
A pet owner from Creech
St Michael, Somerset, who found a lump in her cat's neck discovered,
on taking him to the vet, that it was an airgun
pellet. The pellet was dangerously close to a main
artery and the cat required surgery to remove it.
Citizen (Gloucestershire), 4 September 2008
A cat has had to undergo
major surgery to her leg after being shot with an
airgun near her home in Tuffley,
Gloucester.
News Shopper, 2 September 2008
One cat had to be put down
and two others sustained serious injuries after being shot with
air rifles in Northfleet, Kent.
Their owner say she knows of two other cats that have been shot in the
area.
