OCTOBER 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
West Sussex County Times,
31 October 2008
A sawn-off shotgun has been
found dumped in a pond in Partridge Green, Sussex. It was
covered in thick mud. The weapon had been modified to the style used
by criminals.
Watford Observer,
31 October 2008 *
A masked robber threatened
post office staff at gunpoint in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.
The man brandished a silver handgun and ordered staff to hand over what is
believed to be a substantial amount of cash. A man has been accused
of this and other armed robberies (see
December 2008 Incidents).
This is North Devon,
31 October 2008
A roadside sniper is targeting
buses travelling through a housing estate in Barnstaple, Devon, it
is claimed. Bus drivers have warned managers they might refuse to
work on one service because of fears for their safety and that of their
passengers. An airgun pellet hit
a bus windscreen leaving a hole in the glass.
This is Bristol,
30 October 2008
A former student was shot with
an airgun whilst drinking a
glass of wine outside a bar in Bristol. She felt a sudden
stinging pain in her neck.
Suffolk Free Press,
30 October 2008
Paul Cunningham has been
convicted of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
He showed an air pistol to a worker at
a bus depot in Bures, Suffolk, whom he suspected of knowing who had
stolen his car in June 2008. In his defence Cunningham had admitted
ownership of the gun but that he had used it only for shooting rats at a
scrapyard. He will be sentenced later.
Mail,
30 October 2008
A 16-year-old has been killed
in a shooting incident at the headquarters of a hunt in Paulerspury,
Northamptonshire. His body was discovered in one of the kennels.
It is not know how and why he was able to get hold of a shotgun.
Police are not treating the death as suspicious. A post mortem has
revealed that he died from a gunshot wound to the head (Northampton
Chronicle & Echo, 4 November 2008).
Mail,
30 October 2008
A pensioner in his eighties
died less than 48 hours after robbers threatened him and his son with a
shotgun at his home in Cookham Dean, Berkshire. The thieves
stole property. An initial post-mortem suggested that death was due
to natural causes.
Evening Courier,
30 October 2008
A man has been firing an
air rifle at street lights and windows in
the Mytholmroyd and Luddenden Foot areas in West Yorkshire.
Police wish to speak to him about the criminal damage.
Echo (Essex),
30 October 2008
A man blasted himself in the
face with a shotgun in front of police in a failed suicide bid. He
was left with severe facial injuries after the incident in Englefield
Green, Surrey. He remains in a critical condition.
BBC, 30 October 2008
A man was being treated in
hospital after being shot in the hand in Halewood, Merseyside.
Police believe he was the victim of a targeted attack.
BBC, 30 October 2008
A teenager armed with a gun
attacked and robbed a woman as she walked along a road in Walker,
Tyneside. The robber stole her handbag. Police said they did
not know if the gun was real or an imitation
weapon.
Tottenham, Wood Green
& Edmonton Journal,
29 October 2008
A man fled his car when two
hooded men threatened him with what is believed to have been a sawn-off
shotgun in Tottenham, north London.
This is Kent,
29 October 2008
A 12-year-old boy was robbed
at gunpoint as he walked through Herne Bay, Kent. Three
suspects, both teenagers, were later arrested. An
imitation handgun was recovered soon
after the robbery.
This is Kent,
29 October 2008
Maxwell Brown, 18, from
Westerham, Kent, has been told to "keep out of trouble" after shooting
his neighbour's garden ornaments with an air
rifle. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage.
Sunderland Echo,
29 October 2008
An
airgun was fired at young people working in a park in Dawdon,
County Durham,
as the team were cutting back trees. It is believed that the weapon
had a telescopic sight and was fired with a silencer.
Runcorn & Widnes World,
29 October 2008
Armed police swooped on four
homes in Widnes, Cheshire, after an alleged incident involving
imitation guns in a town park earlier in the month. They
seized a number of items, believed to be imitation firearms. A
19-year-old has been charged with possession of an imitation firearm in a
public place with intent to cause fear of violence. Two 16-year-old
boys have been charged with the same offence. A fourth teenager
received a reprimand.
Leyland Guardian,
29 October 2008
Michael Parkinson has been
jailed for a year after he brandished a .177 air
rifle during an argument over girls in Leyland,
Lancashire, in May 2008 (see
Incidents). A shot was heard and a tin of pellets was
later recovered from bushes.
The Gazette
(Blackpool),
29 October 2008
Philip Hartless has been
jailed for two years and two months after pleading guilty to assault and
possessing an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence. The conviction follows an attack
on a man in a Blackpool takeaway in May 2008. Armed with the
gun Hartless hit his victim over the head before the man struggled and
tried to grab the gun. He was arrested later.
Fleetwood Weekly News,
29 October 2008
A shotgun was fired at a pub
in Salford when drinkers were inside. Police recovered two
shotgun cartridges and found a bullet hole on an internal door.
No-one was injured.
Evening Telegraph
(Peterborough),
29 October 2008
A teenage paperboy was shot at
by a gang of skateboard-riding youths while doing his round in
Peterborough. He believes the weapon was an
air rifle. He was left shaken and
in tears after the incident. The victim's father said he felt let
down by the police who took more than five hours to respond to his call
after the event.
BBC,
29 October 2008
A man seen carrying a gun has
been shot dead in the street by police in Harold Hill, east London.
The police had been responding to an apparent domestic dispute between a
man and a woman. Firearms have been recovered from the scene.
The Directorate of Public Standards and the Independent Police Complaints
Commission have been informed. It is reported that he had the man
had brandished a gun at children (Telegraph, 29 October 2008).
This is Exeter,
28 October 2008
A mother driving with her
4-year-old daughter in Pinhoe, Devon, was fired at. A
ball-bearing hit the driver's door.
She says she could have crashed if the shot had been 1 ft higher and
smashed her window. A mechanic at a nearby garage had also heard
shots from an air weapon earlier in the day.
Lakeland Echo,
28 October 2008
Daniel Doherty and Stuart
Taggart were each given jail terms of five years and four months after a
court heard how they tried to hide a sawn-off double-barrel shotgun in
long grass in Lancaster. The gun was found when a council
worker went to trim the grass in June 2007. Both men pleaded guilty
to a charge of possessing a prohibited firearm.
Worcester News,
27 October 2008
A woman has been shot as she
walked her dogs in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire. She
felt a short sharp pain under her arm and later realised she had a small
puncture wound. An x-ray showed an airgun
pellet was lodged under her skin.
This is Lancashire,
27 October 2008
Fation Peqici was arrested for
carrying five guns in a car which was stopped in Wigan in June
2008. He pleaded guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition with
intent to endanger life, possession of a prohibited weapon without a
firearm certificate and possession of ammunition without a firearm
certificate. He will be sentenced at a later date. Another man
is standing trial for the same offences.
Leigh Journal,
27 October 2008
A man who photographed himself
holding a gun has been jailed for five years after a shotgun and
ammunition were recovered in Oldham. Gavin Whiteman pleaded
guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon. The gun was found after
police were called to a disturbance in December 2007.
East Anglian Daily Times,
27 October 2008
A shotgun and around 200
ammunition cartridges were stolen from a car parked in Bildeston,
Suffolk. A window was smashed and items were taken from the vehicle.
Kent Online,
25 October 2008
John McDonagh was seen acting
suspiciously driving his car with two other men in Lydd, Kent.
Police who were called found a shotgun wrapped in a towel in the boot.
He has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years after admitting possessing
a prohibited firearms and a further nine months for breaching a suspended
term for burglary.
The Gazette
(Blackpool),
25 October 2008 *
A man has been charged
following a failed attempt to rob a bank in Blackpool. He has
been charged with robbery using an imitation
firearm and also with being in possession of a firearm.
He has pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing an imitation firearm and
received a jail sentence of six years and four months (See
December 2008 Incidents).
BBC,
25 October 2008
A robber threatened staff at a
hair salon in Reddish, Greater Manchester, with a gun and demanded
cash from the till. He left the shop with the takings.
East Anglian Daily
Times,
24 October 2008
Suffolk Police are appealing
for information after two airgun
attacks. A motorist was shot at on a roundabout in Haverhill.
The next day a woman walking in Brandon was fired at from a moving
car and suffered bruising.
Western Daily Press,
23 October 2008
A man armed with an
air rifle has been arrested after a
four-hour siege at a house in Tredworth, Gloucester. Police
were called after reports the man was threatening to harm himself and
damage the house.
Swindon Advertiser,
23 October 2008
A woman was shot in the knee
with a pellet from a ball bearing gun
in a drive-by shooting in Swindon. The pellet caused a round
cut, bruising and swelling.
Evening Gazette,
23 October 2008
A man is on trial accused of
trying to kill another man in a drive-by shooting in Grangetown,
Middlesbrough, in August 2007. He denies charges of attempted
murder, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing a
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He was found not
guilty on all charges (BBC, 29 October 2008).
BBC,
23 October 2008
Two men have been jailed for
possessing firearms and ammunition. Paul Webster and Adrian Keeling
pleaded guilty to having two loaded pistols in a car outside a pub in
Derby. Both men were sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in
prison. In a separate case Ferrari Forrest-Clarke, 18, from
Allenton pleaded guilty to a drugs offence, possessing a firearm and
also possessing several types of ammunition. He will be sentenced
later.
BBC,
23 October 2008
A drug dealer has been found
guilty of a number of offences including shooting a man twice in the leg
over a drug debt in an alleyway in Handsworth Wood, West Midlands, in August 2007.
Andre Singh was also convicted of possessing a stun gun without a firearms
certificate, of wounding with intent and having cocaine with intent to
supply. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Herts and Essex
Observer,
22 October 2008
A 17-year-old bought himself
replica guns online using his parents'
credit card. Officers from the UK Border Agency at Stansted
Airport found two realistic "airsoft" rifles inside a consignment
labelled as plastic toys posted from Hong Kong. The weapons will be
destroyed. Enquiries are ongoing.
BBC, 22 October 2008
A 17-year-old was arrested
in Loughborough after several people were allegedly threatened
with a replica gun. A great
deal of distress was caused to members of the public.
The Star,
21 October 2008
Among items recovered by
police during an operation focusing on the movement of stolen scrap in
South Yorkshire were two air rifles
and a ball bearing gun.
Southern Daily Echo,
21 October 2008
Jason Fleet of Fareham,
Hampshire, who has been convicted of three specimen offences of
indecent assault, sexual assault on a child and sexual activity with a
child, had apparently threatened to shoot his victim in the face with a
ball bearing gun.
Northern Echo,
21 October 2008
An inquest jury has ruled that
a man who died after he was shot by his own gun was killed by accident.
The loaded double-barrelled shotgun discharged, hitting him in the neck
and head, killing him instantly. The accident occurred near
Frosterley, Weardale, in August 2007 (see
Incidents). It is believed he was
intending to shoot red grouse on moorland. It is possible that the
weapon was triggered by a buckle in his Wellington boot.
Manchester Evening News,
21 October 2008
Scott Charlton pointed an
air rifle at receptionists and patients
at a hospital in Rochdale, Lancashire, in December 2007 (see
January 2008 Incidents).
He has been given an indeterminate sentence with a minimum of 618 days.
He claimed he was depressed and drunk.
Lancashire Evening Post,
21 October 2008
Two gunmen burst into a flat
in Ribbleton, Preston, and threatened a man with a handgun.
The victim was punched and kicked whilst his wife screamed at the men to
stop.
Daily Echo,
21 October 2008
A building society branch in
Westbourne, Bournemouth, was targeted by an armed robber. He
forced two men delivering cash to lie on the floor as he and two
accomplices fled with a quantity of cash. In a separate incident a
fast-food takeaway in Westbourne was targeted by an armed robber
who made off with a small amount of money.
Crawley Observer,
21 October 2008
A masked raider, armed with a
sawn-off shotgun, held staff at a bookmakers in Crawley, Sussex, at
gunpoint. He took an undisclosed sum of cash before fleeing on foot.
Border Counties
Advertiser,
21 October 2008
A teenager was struck on the
arm with what is believed to be an airgun
pellet as he cycled home in Oswestry, Shropshire. The shot
appears to have been fired from a car.
BBC, 21 October 2008
A 13-year-old boy was chased
by a man brandishing what police said may have been an
imitation gun in Ormesby,
Teesside. The boy escaped shaken but uninjured.
Northants Evening
Telegraph,
20 October 2008
A man apparently shot himself
in a hospital ward in Northampton. Police were called and
discovered the man had died of a gunshot wound. A firearm was
recovered from the scene.
Daily Echo, 20 October 2008
Further questions about the
priority given by Dorset police to airgun
incidents (see below) have been raised by a family after an incident at
their home in Bournemouth, Dorset. Shots from a pellet gun
killed a pigeon in the family's garden after a neighbour, who also
witnessed the incident, had his own window hit earlier. Officers
only attended the following morning.
Community News,
20 October 2008
Police are investigating six
armed robberies at various premises in Stockport, Greater
Manchester, over a period of 10 days. A similar method was used.
One of the offenders, who is armed with a gun, goes into the business and
commits the robbery a second man stands at the door. Both men are
described as teenagers who demand cash from staff and customers.
BBC, 20 October 2008
A man has been charged by
Greater Manchester Police with several firearms offences in
connection with one of the largest gun smuggling operations in the UK.
Asian News,
20 October 2008
A woman and a teenage boy
have been charged with possession of a firearm after they were arrested
in Levenshulme, Greater Manchester.
BBC, 19 October 2008
A man was in hospital and
four people in custody after armed police surrounded two houses in
Okehampton, Devon. A rifle was recovered.
Mid Devon Star,
18 October 2008
A man has been charged with
possession of cannabis, criminal damage to a car window and possession
of a loaded air weapon after an
airgun was allegedly fired in Uffculme, Devon.
Liverpool Echo,
18 October 2008
Liam O'Brien has been jailed
after a loaded pistol was discovered under his pillow at his father's
house in Broad Green, Merseyside. Months later his
fingerprints were also found on a sawn-off shotgun. He has been
jailed for five-and-a-half years after he admitted minding the guns.
Express & Star,
18 October 2008
Security guards were
threatened outside a building society branch in Kidderminster,
Worcestershire. They were challenged by three men carrying
firearms. The robbers grabbed an undisclosed sum of money.
Crawley Observer,
18 October 2008
Police were called to a
house in Ditton, Kent, following a report that a man had been
shot. He had received fatal injuries.
BBC,
18 October 2008
Two men armed with a
sawn-off shotgun robbed a store in Ruskington, Lincolnshire.
They left with an undisclosed amount of money.
BBC,
18 October 2008
Two men are believed to have
been armed with a stun gun when they stole a car in Handsworth,
Birmingham. The car's owner was attacked when he stopped to use
his mobile phone.
Press Association,
17 October 2008
A man has been shot dead in
the street in Kennington, south London. He was pronounced
dead at the scene. Three men have been arrested in connection with
the shooting (BBC, 22 October 2008).
Manchester Evening News,
17 October 2008
A woman was watching TV at
her home in Stretford, Manchester, when shots from a
ball bearing gun were fired through her
window. One narrowly missed her partner. She claims that the
police were dismissive and would not come out as it was not a real gun.
Leamington Spa Courier,
17 October 2008
David Fellows has been
jailed for five years for firing a sawn-off shotgun in his caravan home
in Ryton, Warwickshire, before reloading it and hiding it under
his bed. He was already subject to a suspended prison sentence for
brandishing a Samurai sword at police. He claimed he had found the
weapon and intended to hand it in. He initially denied possessing
the firearm in February 2008 but later changed his plea.
Hounslow Chronicle,
17 October 2008
Nicholas Smith threatened
staff at over 20 bookmakers, including branches in Feltham and
Isleworth, west London, with a handgun. He has now been jailed
for at least six years after pleading guilty to eight robbery and
firearms offences, with another 14 still lying on file.
Hounslow Chronicle,
17 October 2008
Troublemakers have been
targeting Hounslow Heath golf club in west London. There
has been a campaign of vandalism and violence and one golfer has been
shot with an air rifle.
Evening Chronicle,
17 October 2008
Two men have been jailed
after attempting to rob a post office in Consett, County Durham,
whilst armed with an airgun and what
is believed to have been a knife. They fled when the postmaster
spotted them coming. Alan Palmer was sentenced to four years in
jail for the robbery, six months for possessing an imitation weapon and
six weeks for the breach. Paul Davison was given four years for
robbery and six months for carrying the airgun.
The Comet,
17 October 2008
Richard Scott has been
jailed for six years for possession of a firearm and 18 months for
affray, to run concurrently. He was cleared of attempted murder.
The trial followed the shooting of two men in Letchworth Garden City,
Hertfordshire, in August 2007 (see
Incidents).
Birmingham Mail,
17 October 2008 *
An eight-year-old boy has
been expelled from his primary school in Sheldon, Birmingham,
after showing off a replica handgun
to classmates. The gun was bought by his 11-year-old brother from
a market stall in Chelmsley Wood. The boy's mother has
asked Solihull Trading Standards to investigate but has been told that
it would not be treated as a police matter.
Birmingham Mail,
17 October 2008
Andell Butcher has been
jailed for eight years after being convicted of possession of a firearm.
He dropped a sawn-off shotgun and cartridges when he leapt from the rear
bedroom of his girlfriend's flat in Handsworth in January when
police raided it to look for a stolen puppy. His girlfriend,
Cassandra March, was also convicted of possession of a firearm and
jailed for five years.
Yorkshire Evening Post,
16 October 2008
Two masked men robbed a
filling station in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, at gunpoint.
They threatened a woman cashier whilst brandishing a silver handgun.
They stole money from the cash drawer and the woman's handbag.
Swindon Advertiser,
16 October 2008 *
Stacey Thompson of
Penhill, Swindon, has admitted having an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence. She had an
air pistol with intent to cause another
woman to fear unlawful violence in May 2008. She has been warned
to expect a prison sentence and was subsequently sent to prison for one
year (This is Wiltshire, 24 November 2008).
The Press,
16 October 2008
A jogger had a narrow escape
when he claims an air rifle pellet
missed him by inches as he crossed the path of a shooting range set up
on a public highway in Askham Richard, near York. He almost
tripped over a line of cans in the road and then saw a man pointing a
rifle directly at him. The man was stunned by the reaction of the
police who said they found a group of men with guns but in a field and
not on the public highway. He questions why the police did not
interview him and spoke only to the men with rifles.
Independent,
16 October 2008
Two men, Delphon Nicholas
and Trevor Dennie have been convicted of the murder of Andrew Wanoghu
who was fatally shot in Brockley, south London, in April 2006
(see Incidents).
Three other men were cleared of murder.
Daily Echo,
16 October 2008
Two 12-year-old girls were
shot at with an airgun while they
waited by the tennis courts at a school in Bournemouth, Dorset.
One of them was struck on the leg, the second girl was uninjured.
One parent has criticised the police, who delayed attending, for not
taking the incident more seriously.
Epping Forest, Waltham
Forest, Wanstead & Woodford Guardian,
15 October 2008
A court has been told that
three men raped women at gunpoint during a campaign of robberies in
brothels across east London. The case continues.
BBC, 15 October 2008
More than 400 shotguns and
rifles have been seized from a house in Headington, Oxfordshire.
A former firearms dealer has had his licence revoked. The police
received a tip-off that the owner of the house had more guns than he was
allowed to own. A man was held on suspicion of possession of a
prohibited weapon and released on police bail.
Northants Evening
Telegraph, 14 October 2008
Two 16-year-olds threatened
a staff member with an imitation firearm,
a black metallic pistol, during an off-licence robbery in Abington,
Northampton, in January 2008 (see
Incidents). They were pushed into
carrying out the raid by older offenders. They pleaded guilty to
robbery. The younger teenager, who produced the gun, was sentenced
to two years' detention, the other to 18 months' detention.
Bolton News,
14 October 2008
Armed raiders threatened to
shoot a man outside his own home in Heaton if he did not hand
over his car keys.
Birmingham Mail,
14 October 2008
A ten-year-old boy narrowly
escaped injury after being targeted by a gang of teenagers who shot him
in the head with an airgun outside
his family home in Bartley Green, Birmingham. The victim's
family is angry that the police let the attackers walk away after
issuing a caution and he has lodged an official complaint.
Lowestoft Journal,
13 October 2008
Two men have been shot with
air rifle pellets in Lowestoft,
Suffolk. One was hit on the wrist as he got out of his car.
The other victim went to his assistance and was struck on the elbow.
Both pellets had gone through clothing to cause their wounds.
Police have arrested a man in connection with the incidents and another
in which a 12-year-old boy was hurt (East Anglian Daily Times, 20
October 2008).
BBC, 12 October 2008
Armed police officers were
called to deal with a large gang of youths in the centre of Derby
after being told that one of the group was carrying a firearm.
Nothing was found.
Northants Evening
Telegraph, 11 October 2008
A 15-year-old boy was left
terrified after being threatened with a gun in the car park of a
Kettering supermarket. A man jumped from a car and waved what
the boy believes was a gun at him.
Liverpool Echo,
11 October 2008
Lee Farley, 20, has pleaded
guilty to three counts of wounding with intent, possession of a firearm
and possession of ammunition following a shooting in Huyton,
Merseyside, in May 2008 (see
Incidents). He shot his victim in the stomach with a
semi-automatic weapon in front of the man's family. His victim
needed treatment for life-threatening injuries. He was given an
indeterminate sentence and will serve no less than six years.
BBC,
11 October 2008
A man has been charged with
possession of a firearm after police seized a key fob gun during a stop
and search operation in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester. The
gun is capable of firing two .22 bullets at close range.
The News
(Portsmouth), 10 October 2008
Justin Lewis faces a lengthy
jail term for threatening a man with a gun and possessing a haul of
cocaine and amphetamines. He had confronted a man in a lay-by in
Gosport, Hampshire, in September 2007. He showed the man
the handle of a gun which was tucked into his trousers. Lewis
admitted threatening him with an airgun.
He will be sentenced later.
Evening Star,
10 October 2008
Thomas Temple fired shots
from an air rifle and attacked his
partner during a drink-fuelled night of violence. He also
brandished a gun at a neighbour in April 2008. At a court in
Ipswich he admitted charges of common assault, affray and criminal
damage and will serve eight months in jail.
Burton Mail,
10 October 2008
A
ball-bearing gun has been fired through the lounge window of
a home in Kingsmead, Staffordshire. The window was damaged
but no one was hit.
BBC,
10 October 2008
Three youths robbed a pastor
and his two colleagues of £250 at gunpoint in New Cross, south
east London. Two youths later handed back the cash. The
pastor is an anti gun-crime activist. The robbery was not reported
to the police.
Liverpool Echo, 9 October 2008
Police officers found a haul
of bullets and shotgun cartridges in a street in Huyton,
Merseyside, which has been the scene of a spate of shootings in the past
12 months.
Liverpool Echo, 9 October 2008
In a third shooting in
Liverpool in the space of 26 hours a man was shot in the leg near a pub
in Everton. The victim was in a stable condition in
hospital. Police say they have no reason to believe that there any
links between this attack and those in Netherley and Fazakerley.
Birmingham Mail, 9 October 2008
A man is on trial accused of
being one of four people in a car from which a gun was fired at a police
officer in Aston, Birmingham. He denies charges of
attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life
and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
West Yorkshire Police,
8 October 2008
Four men have been arrested
after a significant amount of drugs, cash and a firearm and ammunition
were seized by police from an address in the Barkerend area of
Bradford.
This is Nottingham,
8 October 2008
Three men threatened staff
at a building society branch in Ruddington, Nottingham, with a
gun and escaped with a sum of cash.
This is Nottingham,
8 October 2008
Police are investigating an
attempted armed robbery at a bookmakers in Carlton, Nottingham.
A man pointed a gun at staff but he and an accomplice fled empty-handed
after staff shut themselves behind a secure door and phoned police.
Reuters, 8 October 2008
Kanyanta Mulenga has been
found guilty of the murder of a man who was shot in the neck and leg
after an argument about smoking at a bar in Fulham, west London,
in July 2007 (see Incidents).
Two other men have been cleared of murder and a fourth man faces a
separate trial. Mulenga has been jailed for at least 28 years (Reuters,
9 October 2008).
Liverpool Echo,
8 October 2008
A man was shot in the leg in
a drive-by attack in Fazakerley, Liverpool. His injuries
are not thought to be life-threatening and he was being treated in
hospital.
BBC, 8 October 2008
A man is recovering in
hospital after being shot in Netherley, Liverpool. Local
residents reported hearing three loud bangs and found the victim with a
single gunshot wound to his foot. The injury is not
life-threatening.
Northampton Evening Telegraph, 7 October 2008
A 13-year-old pupil has been
expelled from a school in Kettering, Northamptonshire, after he
fired several shots from a ball bearing gun
around the classroom. The incident took place in September.
Manchester Evening News, 7 October 2008
Robbers tried to rip a
cashpoint out of a wall during a botched raid at a shop in Ancoats,
Greater Manchester. They ran into the shop and brandished a pistol
and ordered customers to leave. The store manager activated a
panic alarm and the men left empty handed.
Mail,
7 October 2008
A man was shot three times
with a gas-powered ball-bearing pistol
in a street in South Norwood, south London. It is
suggested he was shot because he was wearing an Obama T-shirt. A
piece of metal was removed from the victim's jaw.
London Informer, 7 October 2008
An armed robber stole more
than £5,000 of items from a business in West Kensington, west
London. He was holding a black bulky looking handgun.
Lancashire Evening Post, 7 October 2008
Paul Nowell was jailed for
20 months in June 2008 for terrifying police officers with an
air pistol when they knocked on his
door in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire. The police had been
responding to a disturbance between neighbours in March 2007.
Nowell had admitted possession of an imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence during the incident which occurred in March 2007.
He has failed to win a reduction in his sentence.
BBC, 7 October 2008
A man was arrested after
someone was seen walking through the Cotham area of Bristol with
what is thought to have been a gun. A gun was being examined to
see whether it was a real or a replica firearm.
BBC, 7 October 2008
A cyclist was hit in the
face by ball-bearing gun pellets
fired from a car in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. He was not
seriously hurt.
Press Association, 6 October 2008
A second man has been shot
dead in London. Police found his body when they searched premises
near Brent Cross, north west London. He was pronounced dead
at the scene.
BBC, 5 October 2008
A man was shot dead inside
a nightclub in Bermondsey, south London. He was pronounced
dead at hospital. A murder inquiry has started.
BBC, 5 October 2008
Berkshire police believe
that two armed robberies on taxi drivers may be linked. In one
three men booked a taxi and were taken to a pub in Slough where
they threatened the driver with a gun, hit him in the face and stole
cash and other property. Two days later a driver who picked up
four men in Britwell was attacked and threatened with a pistol.
Sky News, 4 October 2008
A youth who was filmed by
friends as he walked out into a country road in High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire, pointing a replica AK47 rifle
at oncoming cars has been tracked down by police. He
was arrested and the replica weapon seized.
Burnham-on-Sea.com, 4 October 2008
Police in Burnham-on-Sea,
Somerset, were investigating an incident after a teenage boy walking
outside a fish bar was shot in the shoulder by an
air rifle.
Yorkshire Evening Post, 3 October 2008
Andrew Riley threatened to
shoot a schoolboy with an airgun
after he thought youths were deliberately kicking a rugby ball at his
window in Moortown, Leeds. He shouted "I will kill you,
wait till I get you" and chased the three teenagers in his car. He
caught up with them at a shopping centre in Moor Allerton and threatened
one boy with the gun. He has been jailed for six months after he
admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and
common assault. A not guilty verdict was recorded on a charge of
attempted kidnap after no evidence was offered by the prosecution.
Southern Daily Echo, 3 October 2008
A 16-year-old student who
was found dead at home in Longstock, Hampshire, died of a shotgun
wound. The police have said that the death was not being treated
as suspicious and there was no investigation into any reports of
illegally held firearms.
BBC, 3 October 2008
A man is in hospital following
a shooting in Handsworth, Birmingham. His injuries were not
believed to be life-threatening. Another man has been arrested.
BBC, 3 October 2008
Four men have been convicted
over a series of armed robberies across southern England. Terence
Wallace, Adrian Johnson, Leroy Wilkinson and Victor Iniodu had all
denied conspiracy to rob. The gang's activities were eventually
stopped when gang leader Mark Nunes and a second man, Andrew Markland
were shot dead by armed police officers during an attempted robbery in
Chandler's Ford, Hampshire, in September 2007 (see
Incidents).
Nunes was holding a gun to a security guard's head at the time. A
total of 21 banks were targeted by the gang in Gloucester,
Swindon, Bristol, Bath, Colchester,
Tilehurst, Cherry Hinton, Oxford, Croydon,
Ipswich and Chandler's Ford. Three other men, Leroy
Hall, Leon McKenzie and Brian Henry pleaded guilty to being part of the
gang before the trial started. The Flying Squad firearms officers
will not be prosecuted over the deaths. See
August 2008 Incidents for additional
details.
This is Surrey Today, 2 October 2008
Armed riot police closed a
street in Banstead, Surrey, following reports of a female
brandishing a handgun in her flat. Police discovered what they
suspected to be two BB guns. A
16-year-old girl is helping them with their inquiries.
This is Derbyshire, 2 October 2008
Shane Barker fired an
imitation firearm, a copy of an Army
Colt revolver, through the window of a house in Derby in July
2008 (see Incidents),
terrifying the occupants. He was on licence from prison when he
committed the offence. He admitted having an imitation firearm and
causing people to fear unlawful violence would be used. His
three-and-a-half year sentence will run concurrently with the term he
was already serving for arson.
This is Cornwall, 2 October 2008
Scouts at a camp in
Devoran, Cornwall, were shot at repeatedly with what is thought to
have been an air rifle. Police
were called to the creek-side camp after Scout leaders began to fear for
the lives of the 22 girls and boys aged between 10 and 17. Two
people were spotted on adjacent mudflats lying in prone position facing
the scouts.
Rye & Battle Observer, 2 October 2008
A farmer from
Hurstpierpoint, Surrey, has died from shotgun injuries. His
body was found in a field. Police say they have ruled out any
third party involvement.
Rugby Advertiser, 2 October 2008
Customers and shop workers
wrestled a robber to the ground during an armed raid in Bilton,
Rugby. He was armed with a pistol-shaped
BB gun. A 15-year-old has been charged in connection
with the robbery.
Mid Devon Star, 2 October 2008
A man was arrested in
Tavistock, Devon, after being hit by a police stun gun.
Concerns had been raised by staff of a psychiatric unit when the man
stormed off in a violent state and was believed to be in possession of a
.22 air rifle.
Evening Courier, 2 October 2008
David Marr and his
girlfriend were arrested by armed police after brandishing an
airgun on a canal towpath in Copley,
West Yorkshire. The gun was unloaded but the couple had a bag of
ball bearing ammunition in their possession. Marr pleaded guilty
to possessing an unloaded air weapon and was given a 12-month
conditional discharge. Charges against his girlfriend were
withdrawn. The gun and ball-bearings were destroyed.
Derbyshire Times, 2 October 2008
Four 12 bore shotguns were
stolen from a gun cabinet during a burglary on a home in Holmewood,
Derbyshire. Cartridges were also taken. The owners were
unable to say whether any other items were stolen. The raid took
place on the same night thieves tried to steal similar weapons from a
house on a neighbouring street where they failed to get into a gun safe.
Bolton News, 2 October 2008
Paul Woodcock raided the
office of a window cleaning company, two bookmakers and a post office in
Bolton in December 2007 and January 2008. He has been found
guilty of five counts of robbery and four firearms offences. The
robberies were carried out with Adrian Whittle who pleaded guilty to one
robbery charge and possession of a firearm at an earlier hearing.
Imitation guns were used in the
robberies. Both men will be sentenced later.
Bridlington Free Press, 2 October 2008
James Hicks walked into a
charity shop in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, with an
imitation pistol in June 2007 and told
staff to get customers outside. He then appeared unwell and after
being a stool to sit on he got up and left. He later called the
police who went to his home and found two handguns, a lock knife and a
plastic silencer. He has since pleaded guilty to charges involving
the possession of a firearm and a lock knife. He has been treated
for a personality disorder which had left him with psychopathic
tendencies. He has been returned to a secure hospital and
sentencing later.
Birmingham Mail, 2 October 2008
A man suffered a broken leg
when he was shot in a betting shop in Ladywood, Birmingham.
It is believed a lone gunman walked in and fired two shots at him.
BBC, 2 October 2008
Three men have been found
guilty of shooting dead another man who was ambushed as he walked home
from a pub in Hartcliffe, Bristol, in December 2008 (see
Incidents).
Michael Hodge, Mark Starr and Nathan Sargent were all convicted of
murder. Sargent told the court that he raised the .22 calibre
bolt-action rifle towards the victim and claimed that the gun went off
during a struggle. A fourth man also faces a murder charge but has
been ruled unfit to stand trial.
BBC, 2 October 2008
Wayne Bryan has admitted
accidentally shooting a 16-year-old girl in the head at a party in
Gorton, Manchester, in June 2008 (see
Incidents). He admitted five
charges including possession of a firearm, possession of an
imitation
firearm and two counts of possession of ammunition. He told the
court he was dancing with the gun, which he said he found in a bag at
the side of a chair at the victim's house, when it went off. The
girl was in a coma for 10 days but has recently been discharged from
hospital. Bryan has been jailed for eight years (BBC, 24
October 2008).
Runcorn & Widnes World, 1 October 2008
A bus driver was held up at
gun point by a gang of hooded men. He had just parked up in
Runcorn, Cheshire, when he was approached by four to six men, one of
whom was carrying a black handgun and another a knife. The gang
took his overnight takings.
The Journal, 1 October 2008
A couple were robbed in
their home in Stanley, County Durham, by two men, one with a gun
and one with a knife. The couple were threatened and punched
before the men made off with some cash. A 16-year-old youth has
been arrested (The Journal, 8 October 2008).
SCOTLAND
Press & Journal,
31 October 2008
William Anderson, who held his
sister and brother-in-law at gunpoint on their bed and threatened to kill
them, has pleaded guilty to assault by seizing his victims by the throats
and repeatedly presenting a handgun at them, operating the mechanism on
the gun and repeatedly threatening to kill them, all to their alarm and
distress. The incident took place in Alness, Ross-shire, in June 2008.
The gun was never found. Anderson has been jailed for 32 months.
West Lothian Courier,
30 October 2008
Craig Thomson was caught with
a loaded air weapon in woods in
Livingston, West Lothian, in April 2008. He pleaded guilty to
being in possession of the loaded weapon in a public place.
Sentencing was deferred for six months.
Daily Record,
30 October 2008
A man was shot with an
air rifle in a drive-by shooting in
Partick, Glasgow. The victim suffered slight injuries to the
head.
BBC, 30 October 2008
There are fears that a gunman
has been wandering around Montrose after shots were fired at a
museum. A pellet was found in a sink and there were three pellet
holes in the window of the heritage centre. It is reported that a
.22 calibre weapon was involved and there is speculation that it might be
a converted air rifle (Montrose
Review, 30 October 2008).
Paisley Daily Express,
28 October 2008
Christopher Taggart fired shot
from an air rifle from a balcony on a
block of flats in Paisley in September 2008. He was arrested
after firearms officers surrounded the block. Taggart
admitted culpably and recklessly discharging the air rifle while showing
disregard for the safety of members of the public. He was ordered to
carry out 100 hours of community service.
Scotsman,
24 October 2008
Two men were being sought
after an armed robbery in which a security guard was threatened by the
men, one of whom was carrying a handgun, in Knightswood, Glasgow.
The men made off with a five-figure sum.
BBC,
24 October 2008
A man armed with what appeared
to be a handgun stole a three-figure sum of cash from a bookmakers in
Glasgow. The gun was not discharged and no-one was injured but
two members of staff were left badly shaken.
BBC,
22 October 2008
Stuart McAlpine, 19, pointed
an air rifle at police officers after
throwing his mother out of the home in Penicuik, Midlothian.
He has pleaded guilty to assaulting constables by pointing a loaded rifle
and threatening to shoot them. He has been given 200 hours of
community service.
BBC,
21 October 2008
A man has been accused of
pulling out an imitation handgun at a
house in Stirling before aiming at two schoolgirls and ordering
them to dance. He has been cleared by a jury of assaulting the
girls. Two charges of threatening to shoot the girls and threatening
violence were found to be not proven (BBC, 23 October 2008).
BBC,
21 October 2008 *
Jacqueline Irvine forced her
way into two houses in Troon, Ayrshire, in June 2007 and threatened
two women with a gun. She has admitted assault, repeatedly
presenting a handgun or imitation handgun
at one of the women and threatening to shoot her. She has been
jailed for four-and-a-half years (BBC, 18 November 2008).
Scotsman,
18 October 2008
A masked gunman escaped with
a five-figure sum after a security van was held up in Shawlands,
Glasgow.
West Lothian Courier,
16 October 2008
Shaun Morrison, 16, randomly
fired an air rifle from his attic
skylight into his street in Uphall, West Lothian, in March 2008.
He fired at house windows and cars. Morrison told police the
weapon belonged to his friend Alexander Gallagher who has been sentenced
to 12 months imprisonment for firing the weapon and hitting a woman on
the back on a different occasion. Morrison pled guilty and was
given 120 hours of community service.
BBC,
16 October 2008
A male youth has been
charged with possession of an imitation gun
on a street in Inverness. Police responded to a
report from a concerned member of public
Sunday Mail,
12 October 2008
A gunman has targeted
windows at the Cumbernauld home of a man whose son was shot dead
in a gangland hit in April 2006. The house was shot at the day
after a shot was fired at a nearby home by mistake.
Scotland on Sunday,
12 October 2008
A gang of children on BMX
bikes cycled past the playground of a school in Crossmyloof,
Glasgow, and opened fire with a BB gun,
hitting a pupil near the eye. The incident occurred last month.
BBC,
10 October 2008
Charles McLean attacked his
nephew with a stun gun at a house in Newmains, North Lanarkshire,
in March 2008. He and two other men, Peter Miller and David
Hamilton, admitted assaulting the victim to his severe injury, permanent
disfigurement and to the danger of his life. All three men were
jailed for four years and nine months.
Hamilton Advertiser,
9 October 2008
In an incident that took
place in September 2008 a teenage boy fired a
BB gun at a man who was standing outside a pub in
Bellshill, North Lanarkshire. A pellet struck the victim on
the back of the neck.
Bellshill Speaker, 9 October 2008
A nine-year-old girl has
been shot in the eye near her home in Carfin, North Lanarkshire.
It is understood that an older boy fired a BB
gun at her as she played with friends in a play park.
Police are looking for two boys in connection with the assault.
Evening News (Edinburgh), 7 October 2008
Peter Marshall has been
jailed for nine and a half years after being found guilty of staging an
armed raid on the home of his sister in Pilton, Edinburgh, in
March 2008. During the raid he levelled what appeared to be a gun
at the face of his 15-year-old niece. Marshall stole a safe which
contained £20,000 in cash as well as jewellery. An accomplice has
never been traced.
BBC, 7 October 2008
Two men were taken to
hospital after a late night shooting outside a bar in the centre of
Glasgow. The seriousness of their condition is not known.
It has since been reported that one of the victims has died.
Paisley Daily Express, 4 October 2008
A man was arrested for
firing an air rifle from premises in
Paisley. In other incidents over the same weekend staff at
a restaurant were threatened by two males carrying an
air weapon, a woman was
arrested in possession of a replica
self-loading pistol and a woman needed medical attention
after she was shot in the face by an airgun
pellet. The Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde
Police has said that following an unusually high number of firearms
incidents he was hammering home the message that people who carry and
use airguns, ball bearing guns and replicas are putting their own and
others' lives at risk.
Evening Times, 2 October 2008
A man was shot in the face
and stomach with a shotgun as he sat in a car in the Calton area of Glasgow.
Three others in the car dived for cover as a hooded man and two
accomplices attacked with a sawn-off shotgun. The victim was in a
serious but stable condition after emergency surgery. The incident
is believed to be linked to a feud over missing drugs. The victim
is expected to recover, according to police (Daily Record, 4
October 2008).
BBC, 1 October 2008
Two teenagers who appeared
in court have denied an allegation of possessing
imitation handguns and placing members of the public in
Inverness city centre in a state of fear and alarm. A member
of Northern Constabulary's firearms section said that police in the
Highlands are regularly dealing with reports of young men carrying and
brandishing replica guns. Officers were making "split second
decisions" on whether they were real.
BBC, 1 October 2008
Paul Farrell was caught with
a pistol, silencer and a live bullet while walking his dog in Possil
Park, Glasgow, in November 2007. Police had been called after
he was asked to leave a flat after producing a gun. He has been
jailed for five years.
WALES
South Wales Echo,
29 October 2008
A binman has been shot as he
collected rubbish in Rumney, Cardiff. He was treated in
hospital after a pellet hit him in the shoulder, leaving a hole in his
padded jacket. Two men were arrested on suspicion of possessing an
air rifle.
BBC,
22 October 2008
A gunman burst into offices at
an industrial park in Pontypool, South Wales. Emergency
services called to the incident found one man dead and three more hurt.
It is thought that a handgun was carried but not fired and that the
offender discarded the weapon, which the police at now searching for.
A man was being held on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and false
imprisonment.
Glamorgan Gazette, 9 October 2008
A gun was fired at a bedroom
window in Wildmill, shattering glass as a teenager was doing
homework. An airgun pellet was
found on the floor of the room. Other used pellets were found near
the home. The shots were believed to have been fired from a nearby
railway line.
BBC,
2 October 2008
A coroner has recorded a
verdict of misadventure at an inquest into the death of a 17-year-old in
Maesglas, Newport, in November 2007 (see
Incidents). The teenager was shot
in the heart with an air rifle.
At the time he was with his cousin and a friend who was holding the gun
when the shot was fired. No action has been taken against
either of them. The victim's cousin had bought the rifle from a
friend two days before the incident, which happened when they went to a
shed to modify it to make it more powerful.
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
The News
(Portsmouth), 30 October 2008
A cat has been blinded in one
eye after being shot with an air rifle
in Oving, near Chichester in Sussex. The eye had to be
removed to get out the airgun pellet.
MK News,
30 October 2008
A member of the public has
offered a reward for information to find the offender who shot a cat in
Beanhill, Milton Keynes. The pet was shot with an
airgun pellet at close range.
Haverhill Echo,
30 October 2008
A cat was seriously injured
after being shot with an airgun in
Haverhill, Suffolk. Vets cannot remove a pellet from her
shoulder because they fear it would cause the cat serious nerve damage.
Runcorn & Widnes World,
23 October 2008
A cat has died three days
after being shot with an air rifle in
Runcorn, Cheshire. Vets had tried to save her by removing
three pieces of bowel along with a metal pellet.
Express & Echo,
22 October 2008
Police and RSPCA officials are
investigating the shooting of a cat in Exeter, which has had to be
put down after his spine was severed by an air
rifle pellet. His owners have put up a £200 reward for
information leading to the conviction of the perpetrator.
Farmers Weekly,
21 October 2008
A herd of cattle at a farm in
Barwell, Leicestershire, have been the target of several attacks.
One cow has died and others have been left injured in the attacks.
After one a cow was found with an airgun
pellet in the side of its neck. Police have spoken to three boys,
aged 11 and 12, in connection with the attacks.
Exmouth Herald,
16 October 2008
A cat was discovered in
Exmouth, Devon, with an air rifle
pellet embedded in her neck and another in the back of her head.
The injuries were so severe that she had to be put to sleep. Her
owner had been trying to find her by putting posters through neighbours'
letterboxes.
South Wales Echo,
14 October 2008
A cat has been shot with an
airgun in Abercynon. A
pellet had damaged one of her Achilles tendons. The vet's bill is
already £1200. The paper reports that another cat has been injured
twice in Mountain Ash. On the latest occasion a pellet was found
to have lodged in her side.
Great Yarmouth Mercury,
11 October 2008
Two animals, a donkey and a
cat, have been shot in recent airgun
attacks in the Yarmouth area. The donkey was lucky to survive
after suffering a hole in her head during a shooting in Belton.
The pellet remains in her head. The cat was shot near her home in
Burgh Castle. X-rays established that a pellet had broken
her leg.
The Sentinel,
10 October 2008
A cat has had to have its
leg amputated after being shot with an airgun
in Tunstall, Staffordshire. An x-ray revealed that a pellet
had lodged in her thigh.
BBC, 9 October 2008
Two cats were shot with
airguns in near fatal
