OCTOBER 2009
We prepare
a monthly summary of gun incidents, focussing on those that raise key
issues about the nature of gun crime and the adequacy of gun legislation.
Items that have been amended or added to the list since the
Summary was written are marked (*).
ENGLAND
This is Leicestershire,
31 October 2009 *
A man from Hartshome,
Leicestershire, is on trial accused of 26 offences of cruelty to his two
sons and two daughters and two counts of actual bodily harm against his
wife. The alleged incidents which occurred between 1987 and 2000
include shooting at his children with a BB gun.
Terrence Eames has been convicted of 16 offences of cruelty to his
children but was found not guilty of shooting his daughter with a
BB gun (Burton Mail, 10 November
2009).
BBC,
31 October 2009 *
A man was seriously injured in
a shooting outside a pub in Kirkby, Merseyside. He was
discovered with bullet wounds to his chest and stomach. He was in a
critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery. A woman and
three men are being held by the police. A fifth person has been
arrested (BBC, 1 November 2009). The victim was shot at close range
with a shotgun (Liverpool Echo,
2 November 2009).
This is Leicestershire,
30 October 2009
A man brandished a handgun at
staff at a petrol station in Leicester. He demanded money
from the till but ran away empty-handed when staff triggered a security
alarm. Police say they do not know if the weapon was real or an
imitation.
This is Kent,
30 October 2009
A man was arrested after he
was seen wielding a handgun in Trottiscliffe, Kent. He has
since been transferred into the care of mental health professionals.
Swindon Advertiser,
30 October 2009
A man held a gun to the head
of a fast food restaurant manager in Swindon, Wiltshire. The
man had broken in through the rear staff access door and demanded all the
money from the till.
The Argus,
30 October 2009
A newsagent in Worthing,
West Sussex, was robbed by two men who threatened him with what was
believed to be a gun. The men escaped with cash and cigarettes.
This is Somerset,
29 October 2009
A man has been given a bravery
award by Avon and Somerset Police for tackling an armed robber at a store
in Frome, Somerset, in July 2008. Last year the offender was convicted of
robbery and possession of an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence. He was given a
12-month suspended sentence and a two-year supervision order. The
offender, who was 18 at the time, had turned the gun on a man who then
grabbed hold of the hand holding the weapon. The gun went off smashing the
front window of the store.
107 the bee,
29 October 2009
An 8-year-old has been hit by
a pellet from a BB gun in Blackburn,
Lancashire. Two 14-year-old boys have been traced in connection with
the incident and one had been given a £40 fine and the other a Youth
Referral Form. The weapon was seized.
This is the West Country,
28 October 2009
Jennifer Lander used a knife
and an airgun to hold-up a female
security guard at a railway freight yard near Silk Mills, Somerset,
from where she had been sacked. She demanded the guard's phone and
wallet and then turned on 34 train fuel caps causing a spillage of diesel.
She pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm, possession of a
bladed article and causing criminal damage and was given a 24-month
supervision order and required to undergo a 22-month drug rehabilitation.
Express & Star,
28 October 2009
A man was arrested on
suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
after he had raised the suspicions of a member of staff at a stately home
near Cannock, Staffordshire.
Echo,
28 October 2009
An
air rifle was fired at four buses within the space of two hours
in Basildon, Essex. The attacks caused £700 worth of damage
in the form of broken windows.
Ealing Gazette,
28 October 2009
During an operation
coordinated with one in west London, police found drugs, cash and a
stun gun at an address in Surrey.
Two people from Chessington, Surrey, were arrested.
Birmingham Mail,
28 October 2009
Local residents were shocked
to hear gunshots near a hospital in Bordesley Green, Birmingham.
Police sealed off four streets during an investigation. There were
no reports of anyone being injured.
We are grateful to a correspondent for
alerting us to this incident
BBC,
28 October 2009
Three teenage boys have been
charged with firearms offences and robbery in connection with an incident
in which a boy was thrown into a skip in Birmingham. The
robbery came to light from footage filmed on a phone. A 13-year-old
and a 14-year-old face charges of possessing an
imitation firearm (Metro, 29 October 2009).
This is South Devon,
27 October 2009 *
A man has appeared in court
charged with illegal possession of a sawn-off
shotgun. He was accused of possessing without the
authority of the Secretary of State a pump action, smooth bore gun with a
barrel length shorter than 24 inches. The gun was found during a
raid on a boat anchored at Brixham, Devon. The gun was found
alongside other weapons, which were licensed. A man has admitted the
charge (see November 2009
Incidents).
Sunday Sun,
27 October 2009
Police seized two
blank-firing handguns, blank-firing
ammunition, cash and drugs during a search of a house in Bensham,
Tyneside. A man was arrested.
The Press,
27 October 2009
A man and a woman were
arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm after police raided a house
in York. The woman was later released without charge after it
was found that the suspected firearm was a
ball-bearing gun but the man remained in custody and will
answer two other charges.
Huddersfield Daily
Examiner,
27 October 2009
Matthew Campbell has admitted
possession of an explosive detonator and a
sawn-off shotgun which police found at an address in
Crosland Moor, West Yorkshire, in March 2009 (see
April 2009 Incidents). Another
shotgun, cartridges and a silencer
were found in his 2-year-old daughter's bedroom at another property in
Dalton. He claimed he obtained the gun to protect his family
after two men had shot at him outside his home. He has been jailed
for three years and nine months.
BBC,
27 October 2009 *
A man was shot in the stomach
during a suspected road rage incident between two motorists in Alkham,
Kent. The victim was in a stable condition in hospital. A man
has been convicted of wounding with intent (see
July 2010 Incidents).
BBC,
27 October 2009 *
Michael-Paul Hamblett-Sewell
has been found guilty of the murder of a 15-year-old boy who was shot dead
in a park in Derby in November 2008 (see
Incidents). The gunman, Callum
Campbell, 19, had admitted murder. He shot the victim with a
sawn-off shotgun. Both men have
been jailed for life and must serve 23 years and 21 years in prison,
respectively (BBC, 17 November 2009).
BBC,
27 October 2009
A man was shot in the legs on
his doorstep in Swinton, Greater Manchester. Police believe a
shotgun was used. The victim has pellets lodged in both
legs.
BBC,
27 October 2009
A man accused of accidentally
shooting a woman in the head at a music event in High Wycombe,
Buckinghamshire, in September 2004 (see
Incidents) has been acquitted of
manslaughter. Two women were acquitted of perverting the course of
justice and one of them was found not guilty of possession of a firearm.
BBC,
27 October 2009
Four robbers armed with knives
and a sawn-off shotgun threatened
staff at a club in Kirkby, Merseyside. They stole a
customer's handbag which was later recovered nearby.
Telegraph & Argus,
26 October 2009
A firearm is thought to have
been discharged during a burglary in Frizinghall, Bradford.
No-one was injured.
Southern Daily Echo,
26 October 2009
A 17-year-old has been given a
three year jail term for possession of a 12-bore
shotgun which he had hidden in a black plastic carrier bag at
his home in Southampton. The weapon was found when police
raided the property. Luke Harrop admitted possession of a prohibited
firearm and ammunition and not having a firearms certificate. He was
being asked to hold on the gun by his cannabis dealer.
Northwich Guardian,
26 October 2009
Police found cannabis plants
and a stun gun when they raided the
house of James Wilkinson in Wincham, Cheshire. He admitted
charges of cultivation and possession of cannabis and possession of an
offensive weapon. He was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for a
year.
Lancashire Evening Post,
26 October 2009
A teenage boy caught waving a
BB gun on a street close to his home
in Preston, Lancashire, in December 2008 was charged with
possession of an imitation firearm. He pleaded guilty. His
lawyers have criticised the decision to take the case to court saying that
they were "disappointed with the CPS who found it necessary to prosecute a
14-year-old playing in the street with a toy gun". However his
actions had sufficiently worried a member of the public to have called
999.
Lancashire Evening Post,
26 October 2009
Thousands of pounds worth of
damage has been caused by youths in two cars who used
ball-bearing guns and catapults to fire
pellets as they travelled through Longridge, Lancashire. Four
businesses suffered damage and the windows of two cars were smashed.
Kingsbridge Today,
26 October 2009
There have been claims that an
air weapon has been fired from a
travellers' site in Ivybridge, Devon. Police say one incident
when a fisherman was shot at was reported to them and that one of the
traveller families had handed an air weapon to them.
Haringey Independent,
26 October 2009
A man attempted to rob a
supermarket in Wood Green, north London. He appeared to be
carrying a gun. A member of staff refused to hand over the day's
takings and was punched before the man fled.
The Press,
24 October 2009 *
Three men have been arrested
after an armed robbery at a store in Selby, North Yorkshire.
One man held what is believed to be a handgun at a woman before the gang
fled with a four-figure sum. One man has admitted robbery
and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an offence
(see February 2010 Incidents).
Oxford Times,
24 October 2009
Two men threatened a woman
with a gun at a service area near Thame, Oxfordshire, where she and
her partner had stopped. The woman was alone in the car at the
time and the men demanded she get out of the vehicle. They got into
the car and drove off followed by two others in another car. Police
are unsure whether the weapon was real or an
imitation. Four men have been arrested (BBC, 25
October 2009).
Manchester Evening News,
24 October 2009
A man on crutches was attacked
by a man armed with an axe, lump hammer and BB
gun as he left a pub in Crumpsall, Manchester. The
attack is being linked to another attack on a woman in Manchester city
centre which happened 30 minutes earlier.
Romford Recorder,
23 October 2009
Three men who took part in a
fight outside a pub in Romford, east London, in June 2007 which
left a man with gunshot wounds have failed to have their jail term
reduced. Scott Collins, Darren Thompson and Anthony Barrett had been
convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and were jailed for
14, 14, and 10 years respectively. The victim was shot in the groin
and it was stated at the original trial that he survived because the gun,
which was never found, was a converted
blank-firing weapon.
Oxford Mail,
23 October 2009
Joseph Byrne, 19, has been
banned from going out at weekends after he drunkenly brandished a
Taser stun gun at two men in Oxford
in August 2009. He had found the device on the ground earlier in the
evening.
Manchester Evening News,
23 October 2009 *
Four men have denied
possessing a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
Armed police swooped on a car in Burnage, Manchester, in March 2009 and found a
9mm semi-automatic pistol with a loaded magazine, silencer and laser
sight. Luke Lawrence, Kane Mousah and Joel Johnson were all found
guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The
fourth man was found not guilty (Bolton News, 31 October 2009).
Lawrence and Johnson were jailed for nine years and a minimum of five
years and 266 days, respectively, and Mousah was given an indeterminate
sentence (Bolton News, 19 December 2009).
Get Surrey,
23 October 2009
Stephen Parry, 19, whipped his
ex-girlfriend with a dog chain, sprayed bleach into her mouth and shot her
in the leg with an air rifle at his
home in New Haw, Surrey, in September 2008. He had enlisted
the help of his brother Andrew Parry and Nell Underwood who held the
victim during the attack. Stephen Parry was sent to a young
offenders' institution for two years for assault and a concurrent 18
months for unlawful wounding. The other offenders were each
sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Cumberland News,
23 October 2009
William Musson went into the
emergency department of a hospital in Whitehaven, Cumbria, and told
the doctor he had a gun. It turned out to be a
toy gun and he wanted to be sectioned as
he had nowhere to live and no money. He admitted a public order
offence of threatening behaviour and was conditionally discharged for six
months.
4RFV,
23 October 2009
A 14-year-old boy has been
cautioned after being caught with a replica gun
in Ordsall, Greater Manchester. A member of public had called
the police.
Southern Daily Echo,
22 October 2009
Tony Covele broke into a flat
in Winchester, Hampshire, and attacked the occupant with spray and
beat him around the head with a stun gun
has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Two other men were
acquitted.
Leicester Mercury,
22 October 2009
A gang of young men armed with
paintball guns has been taking
pot-shots at prostitutes in Leicester. The men are cruising
in a car and have struck several times in recent weeks.
Kilburn Times,
22 October 2009
Two shots were fired at a
house by a group of five or six men on an estate in Neasden, north
west London. Nobody was hurt.
Kilburn Times,
22 October 2009
A 16-year-old is recovering in
hospital after he was shot in Kilburn, north west London. He
underwent vital surgery and is said to be in a stable condition.
Harrow Times,
22 October 2009
Ashton Cato-Bell, 19,
threatened staff at a bookmakers in Kingsbury with an
imitation gun in June 2009 (see
Incidents) but was
caught by armed police who had been following him after a string of armed
robberies at bookmakers elsewhere in north west London. Cato-Bell
was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to nine counts of robbery
and possession of a firearm with intent. His accomplice Tyrone
Mundle pleaded guilty to one court of robbery and one of possession of a
firearm with intent and was given a three year sentence.
Ealing Gazette,
22 October 2009
Edmujndas Kucevicius pointed a
gun at three door staff at a pub in Ealing, west London, in May
2009. He had been drinking when he returned with an
air rifle after being refused entry.
He was given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and
ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Surrey Comet,
21 October 2009
Adrian McCrae has admitted
aggravated burglary and possessing a stun gun
and was also convicted of possessing a shotgun
with intent to commit an indictable offence and David Noel has been found
guilty of aggravated burglary and possessing a firearm with intent to
commit an indictable offence. They were arrested in Southampton in
December 2008 (see Incidents)
by police officers carrying out a stop-check. They had attacked a
man in Southampton two weeks earlier. They were both sentenced to a
minimum of ten years in jail.
The Press,
21 October 2009
Armed police swooped on a
street in York after a member of the public reported a youth in a
car had pointed a shotgun at him.
A youth was arrested at the scene but later released without charge.
No weapon was found.
North-West Evening Mail,
21 October 2009
Police were called to a street
in Ormsgill, Barrow in Cumbria, after a report that houses and cars
were being shot at with an air rifle.
Two teenagers were detained but no weapons were recovered.
News & Star,
21 October 2009
A man was shot with a
ball-bearing gun in a street in
Carlisle. He was uninjured. Two men have been arrested.
Nafferton Today,
21 October 2009
Two
ball-bearing guns were found hidden in a churchyard in
Nafferton, West Yorkshire. The guns were old and rusty and have
now been destroyed by police.
Knutsford Guardian,
21 October 2009
A man was shot in the eye with
an air rifle pellet as he was walking
near Knutsford, Cheshire. He felt a sharp pain and then saw
three youths, aged between 14 and 16, running away.
Cambridge News,
21 October 2009
A gang wielding a gun made
threats to kill someone in Cambridge before leaving the scene in a
car. They were chased by police and three men were eventually
arrested in Leicestershire.
Bromley Times,
21 October 2009
Three men armed with a knife
and a toy gun stole money from an off
licence in Longfield, south London, after threatening a cashier.
St Helens Star,
20 October 2009
A man has been remanded in
custody charged with attempted robbery and possession of a firearm.
The charged follow an attempted robbery at a bookmakers in
Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, in September 2009.
Midhurst and Petworth
Observer,
20 October 2009
A man was shot in the back of
the head with an airgun as he walked
along a road in Worthing, West Sussex. He escaped relatively
unscathed but was left with a large, red mark on his neck.
Manchester Evening News,
20 October 2009
Two men climbed into a car in
Reddish, Greater Manchester, and pointed a gun at the driver.
They then hijacked the vehicle.
Lowestoft Journal,
20 October 2009
Police seized cash, drugs,
counterfeit clothing and a stun gun
during raids on four properties in Lowestoft, Suffolk. A
total of seven arrests were made. In another operation police
arrested seven teenage boys and seized cannabis, drugs paraphernalia and a
paintball gun (Lowestoft Journal,
21 October 2009).
Liverpool Echo,
20 October 2009
A man on a mountain bike shot
at a car in Toxteth, Liverpool. The car was later found
abandoned and had been damaged by bullet holes.
The Journal,
20 October 2009
A man had a gun held to his
head in front of his children as raiders burst into his home near
Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham, and threatened to "blow his brains
out" if he didn't hand over cash. The raiders were armed with a
sword, a stun gun and a
shotgun. The victim handed them
money.
Coventry Telegraph,
20 October 2009
Armed police surrounded a
house in Bedworth, Warwickshire, after it was reported that a burglar was
inside with a gun. The offender escaped and it was found that a
rifle had been stolen from the property.
BBC,
20 October 2009
Two men, one carrying a hammer
and the other a long-barrelled gun, possibly an
air rifle, demanded money from staff at a post office in
Plymouth. They fled with only £20. Two men have been
arrested and bailed.
This is South Devon,
19 October 2009
A massive police search was
triggered when a burglar alarm was set off at a remote farm in
Blackawton, Devon, and police found the property unoccupied and
unlocked and inside what appeared to be a gun missing from a cabinet.
It was later discovered that no break-in had occurred but officers will be
speaking to the licence holder to establish exactly what happened.
Shields Gazette,
19 October 2009
Detectives have released the
name of a man to whom they wish to speak after an armed raid on a games
store in Jarrow, Tyneside, in March 2009. A man escaped with
cash after threatening staff with a shotgun.
Manchester Evening News,
19 October 2009 *
A 19-year-old has been charged
with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition after a loaded
handgun was found when police stopped a car in Gorton, Greater
Manchester. He has pleaded guilty to three firearms offences and
will received a mandatory five year sentence (see
January 2010 Incidents).
Evening Standard,
19 October 2009
Of 985 guns seized by the
police in London this year 217 were "live-firing" weapons (136
handguns, 72 shotguns, 9 sub-machine guns) and the majority are believed
to be BB guns,
replicas or other "non-live firing" guns.
Evening Courier,
19 October 2009
A man has been charged with
possessing a prohibited weapon after police found a
stun gun during a raid on a house in
Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire.
Birmingham Mail,
19 October 2009
A man was arrested after
police sealed off a road in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, after
unconfirmed reports of gunfire. Police officers have been searching
the scene.
Haringey Independent,
17 October 2009
Two men who forced their way
into a property in Tottenham, north London, used a
stun gun on a man and then stabbed him in
the neck. The victim was holding a toddler at the time of the
attack.
Birmingham Mail,
17 October 2009
Ture Oyaide preyed on
teenagers during a spate of robberies which provided funds for his heroin
addiction. He struck four times in the West Midlands in April 2009
(see May
2009 Incidents), once in Sutton Coldfield and
three times on a bus which runs through Erdington. He pleaded
guilty to four charges of robbery, one of attempted robbery and five of
the possession of an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear or violence. He has been jailed for
five-and-a-half years.
BBC,
17 October 2009
A teenager was seriously
injured after being shot in a community centre in Stockwell, south
London. His condition was described as serious but stable.
Yorkshire Evening Post,
16 October 2009
Malcolm Parris has been jailed
for eight years for his part in a robbery outside a bank in Bradford
in December 2008 in which a man pointed what looked like a 9mm handgun at
a security guard. He admitted a charge of conspiracy to rob.
Four other men had already been sentenced for their part in the robbery,
Ian White was jailed for 14 years for this and three other robberies,
Philip Halliday received eight years, Jenson Grant eight years for
his involvement in two raids and Tyler Walker four-and-a-half years.
This is Leicestershire,
16 October 2009
A woman is living in fear
after a ball bearing was shot through her family's kitchen window in
Burbage, Leicestershire. Police suspect it came from a gas-powered
gun.
This is Derbyshire,
16 October 2009
Eight robbers, armed with
knives and what appeared to be a gun burst into a store in Normanton,
Derby, and dragged the owner upstairs. The gang stole cash, alcohol
and cigarettes.
The Sentinel,
16 October 2009
A drug dealer found in
possession of a firearm, drugs and £9000 in cash at his home in
Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, has been jailed. Malcolm Coates
had confirmed to police he had an air rifle
but police found a rimfire rifle and ammunition in his van. Other
rifles were found in the house but they did not need certificates.
He was given five years for the firearms offences and a consecutive nine
months for the drugs matter.
Lancashire Evening Post,
16 October 2009
A man is being hunted after
parked cars were shot at with an airgun
in Leyland, Lancashire. It is reported that the shots were
fired by a cyclist. A man has been arrested on suspicion of
possession of a firearm and criminal damage and released on bail (Leyland
Guardian, 21 October 2009).
Ilkeston Advertiser,
16 October 2009
A boy was shot in the face
with a BB gun while playing in a park
in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. He and his friends were descended on
by a group of youths three of whom punched him and another one shot him.
He was hit by his right eye.
East London Advertiser,
16 October 2009
Police have arrested 137
youths in a series of raids across London targeting gang violence and
aimed at taking lethal weapons off the streets. Two pistols were
recovered from an address in Tower Hamlets. A
sawn-off shotgun, a 9mm pistol and 70
rounds of ammunition were found at an address in Islington.
The raids come at a time when the Metropolitan Police announced a 17% rise
in gun crime in London (BBC, 15 October 2009).
Daily Gazette,
16 October 2009
Mathew Dillon showed off a
black Colt air pistol at a party in
Colchester, Essex, in September 2008. A girl called 999 and
armed police went to Dillon's home. He dropped the gun when
challenged. He has pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation
firearm in a public place. He was given a 28-week prison sentence,
suspended for two years with supervision for 18 months. The judge
ordered the weapon to be forfeited and destroyed.
Coventry Telegraph,
16 October 2009
Three men forced their way
into a post office in Foleshill, Coventry, and threatened four
members of the family who live on the premises with a gun. The men
demanded cash and held the family at gunpoint for 12 hours before taking a
large quantity of cash from the safe. A £10,000 reward is being
offered to find the men responsible (BBC, 27 October 2009).
The Courier
(Warwick),
16 October 2009
A man has been cleared of
having an illegal sawn-off shotgun at
his home in Warwick Gates, Warwickshire. He had denied all
knowledge of the weapon which was found by police in a shed. The
fingerprints on the weapon were not his.
Beeston Today,
16 October 2009
Police recovered a single
barrelled pistol from under the patio of a house in Hunslet, West
Yorkshire. It was discovered by police executing a search warrant.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a section 1 firearm.
BBC,
16 October 2009
An armed gang hijacked a
woman's car in Luton, Bedfordshire, and demanded she hand over
cash. A man has been arrested and police recovered two firearms and
a machete.
BBC,
16 October 2009
Jurijs Ragazins fired a gun
twice into the air in King's Lynn, Norfolk, when he was drunk. The
weapon was an illegal gas gun. He admitted the charge of possessing
a prohibited weapon and has been jailed for a month.
BBC,
16 October 2009
A motorcyclist fired a
shotgun at a house in Salford,
Greater Manchester, damaging the front door and doorframe.
Yorkshire Evening Post,
15 October 2009
A man produced a black handgun
before threatening a staff member at a betting shop in Armley,
Leeds. He demanded cash which was given to him, and he then left the
shop. CCTV images have been released.
Salisbury Journal,
15 October 2009
James Worton-Griffiths and
Shaun McEvoy stole an imitation double-barrelled shotgun from a friend's
house before attempting to rob a shop in shop in Portswood,
Southampton, in July 2009 (see
Incidents). Both men pleaded guilty to charges of
conspiracy to rob and possession of an imitation
firearm with intent. The men have been jailed for three
years and four years respectively.
Runcorn and Widnes
Weekly News,
15 October 2009
A man's finger had to be
amputated after he was hit when shots were fired through the living room
window of his home in Halton Village, Runcorn in Cheshire.
The attack is being treated as a case of attempted murder.
Kilburn
Times,
15 October 2009
Two men
have denied the murder of a man who was shot dead in Harlesden,
north west London, in May 2004. A third man denies conspiracy to
murder. The trial continues.
Hemel
Today,
15 October 2009
A
12-year-old boy who turned up at a care centre in Hemel Hempstead,
Hertfordshire, had been shot in the head with an
air rifle. He was taken to
hospital. Later reports indicated that he had been shot at a friend’s
house and that he had been left with a hole in his head.
Get Bracknell,
15 October 2009
A man is alleged to have burst
into his estranged wife' flat in Great Hollands, Berkshire,
wielding what appeared to be a gun and threatened to kill her. He was
accused of possessing an imitation firearm
with the intention to cause fear but was found not guilty and acquitted.
Express & Star,
15 October 2009 *
Three people, alleged to have
attempted to hijack cars in the Black Country have appeared in court in
relation to two incidents in Sedgley and Swindon which
resulted in cars being stolen and one in Dudley where the robbers
left empty-handed. Sarfaraz Hussain and his brother Shahbaz admitted
the Swindon robbery and were found guilty of the other two carjackings.
Nahida Parveen was convicted of one robbery, an attempted robbery,
possessing an imitation firearm and
perverting the course of justice. The gun had been bought from
Poundland. Parveen was jailed for five years and the Hussain
brothers were both jailed for seven years (Express & Star, 24
December 2009).
East London Advertiser,
15 October 2009
An
imitation gun was recovered during a operation in Manor Park,
east London, by police investigating sex trafficking into Britain.
Three men and a teenage girl were arrested.
Worcester News,
14 October 2009
A burger van window was
shattered by a shot from an airgun or
BB gun, believed to have been fired from a passing van in
Leigh Sinton, Worcestershire.
Wandsworth Guardian,
14 October 2009
A 15-year-old has been
arrested by police in Wandsworth, south London, for storing
ammunition at home for older friends. The police have warned that
teenagers in the borough are being used to store firearms for older
criminals.
This is Wiltshire,
14 October 2009 *
A man has been accused of
having a sawn-off shotgun which he is
said to have had in Chiseldon, Wiltshire, in August 2009. He
pleaded not guilty to possessing an altered firearm without a certificate
and another firearm charge. During the trial he pleaded guilty and
awaits sentence (see February
2010 Incidents).
Sheffield Telegraph,
14 October 2009
A court has heard how two men
were kidnapped and tortured in a flat in Sheffield after finding
and then hiding a gun used to kill a teenager in the city in July 2008.
The two were threatened and hit with a gun. One man is charged with
assisting an offender by recovering the murder weapon, possessing the
sawn-off shotgun after the killing, false
imprisonment, possession of a firearm, and assault occasioning actual
bodily harm. Another man is charged with false imprisonment,
possessing a firearm and assault and a teenager faces the same charges and
is also accused of assisting an offender.
Norwich Evening News,
14 October 2009
Jordan Bush pleaded guilty to
having a loaded air weapon in a public
place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse and a second charge of
being drunk and disorderly. He had pulled an airgun from his bag
outside a pub in Sprowston, Norfolk, in September 2009. He
was given a 12 months community order with the requirement he carries out
120 hours unpaid work. An order was also made for the forfeiture and
destruction of the weapon.
Manchester Evening News,
14 October 2009
CCTV pictures have been
released showing two men threatening staff and customers at a store in
Trafford, Greater Manchester, with a handgun during a raid in August
2009. The men stole hundreds of pounds in cash from the tills.
Garstang Courier,
14 October 2009
Two men were arrested after a
shooting in Bilsborrow, Lancashire. A man reported he had
been shot at after an air rifle was
fired. He was not injured.
Cambs Times,
14 October 2009
Lucas Bailey has admitted
possessing a stun gun, a knife and
class C drugs at his home in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. The
stun gun was bought from Wisbech market according to his solicitor.
Bailey was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs.
Bromley Times,
14 October 2009
Two men have been charged with
conspiracy to commit robbery and the unlawful possession of a firearm with
intent to commit an indictable offence. They were arrested in
Bromley, south London.
BBC,
14 October 2009
Two men and a woman have been
arrested after a police raid on a house in Washington, County
Durham, in which a shotgun was
recovered.
BBC,
14 October 2009
A handgun was among the items
seized during a series of raids in Speke aimed at targeting
suspected drug dealing in Liverpool.
Sutton Borough Guardian,
13 October 2009 *
Sachmo Quain has been jailed
for eight years for firing a gun when two gangs, Terror Zone and Stick Up
Kids, began fighting with belts as weapons outside a club in Sutton,
south London, in September 2008. Police recovered a loaded
sawn-off shotgun, belts and knives.
Quain was found guilty of two counts of possession of a firearm with
intent to endanger life. Five others have been found guilty of other
charges. Quain's sentence has been considered to be "unduly lenient"
and has been increased to 11 years after an appeal (Sutton Guardian,
15 July 2010).
Peterborough Evening
Telegraph,
13 October 2009
Two men threatened a member of
staff at a store in Huntingdon with a gun and demanded he hand over
money from the till. The men left after taking the money.
Oxford Times,
13 October 2009 *
Three men entered a petrol
station in Oxford and threatened a member of staff with what police
said had been described as a plastic gun.
The men took £50 in cash from the till. CCTV footage of the incident
has been released (BBC, 3 November 2009).
Ilford Recorder,
13 October 2009
Three raiders threatened to
shoot a shopkeeper in Newbury Park, east London, unless he handed
over hundreds of pounds. The shopkeeper had already pressed the
panic alarm when one of the men pulled out a gun, covered in brown cloth,
and aimed it at him. The shopkeeper was punched during the robbery.
Express & Star,
13 October 2009
Two men, one a teenager, who
are on trial both deny two charges of possessing a firearm with intent to
endanger life, two of possession an firearm or imitation firearm to cause
fear of violence and violent disorder. The charges follow a shooting
in which a nightclub boss and two bouncers were hit when at least five
shots were fired from two Russian-made pistols in Bilston, West
Midlands, in September 2008 (see
Incidents).
Watford Observer,
12 October 2009
A man will appear in court
charged with possession of a shotgun
with intent to cause fear of violence to two women in St Albans,
Hertfordshire, as well as charges of dangerous driving, causing damage to
two police vehicles and robbing a woman of a handbag.
Streatham Guardian,
12 October 2009
A drive-by shooting of a group
of six teenagers in Mitcham, south London, was a case of mistaken
identity according to police. Only one of the group was hit in the
attack. He was hit in the leg but has since been released from
hospital. A semi-automatic machine gun, possibly a Mac 10, was fired
by a passenger on the back of a motorbike.
Southend Standard,
12 October 2009
Christopher Mitchell has
admitted driving around with a pistol and eight cartridges in the back of
his car. He was stopped after being spotted driving erratically in
Southend, Essex. He was jailed for five years for one count of
possession of a firearm and a further two years for possession of
ammunition without a firearm certificate, two years for two counts of
possession of a firearm when prohibited and further sentences for motoring
offences, all these sentences to run concurrently.
Northampton Chronicle &
Echo,
12 October 2009
A man has denied being
connected to a Russian pistol, ammunition and silencer discovered in an
abandoned car in Far Cotton, Northampton. He denied
possessing the firearm without a certificate or that traces of his DNA
were found on the weapon.
Coventry Telegraph,
12 October 2009 *
A man was shot in the leg as
he was leaving his home in Longford, near Coventry. He was
sitting in his car at the time of the attack, which is believed to have
been targeted. Three gunshots are believed to have broken the
victim's leg (Coventry Telegraph, 13 October 2009). Three men
and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder
(BBC, 16 November 2009).
Shields Gazette,
10 October 2009
Alan Turner burst into a store
in South Shields, Tyneside, in May 2009 (see
Incidents), brandishing a handgun and
demanding money. He pointed the gun at the manager and terrified
customers. He was out on bail on licence for a 10-year sentence at
the time. He pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a firearm,
revealed to be an air pistol, and has
been jailed indefinitely for public protection and will serve a minimum of
five years.
Echo,
10 October 2009
Terence Holliday walked into a
police station in Southend, Essex, with a
toy gun in March 2009. He has pleaded guilty to the
possession of an imitation weapon with intent and been ordered to seek
mental health treatment.
Daily Gazette,
10 October 2009
Stuart Maddams was caught with
an airgun, cannabis and drug
paraphernalia in a car in Sible Hedingham, Essex, in May 2009.
He admitted possession of an airgun in a public place and possession of a
class B drug. The judge believed the weapon was used for
intimidation purposes. Maddams was given a 16-week prison sentence
for each of the offences, suspended for one year. He was also given
a curfew order.
BBC,
10 October 2009
Four men have been jailed for
conspiracy to possess a firearm but were clear of charges relating to a
drive-by shooting of a house in Fulbourn, Cambridge, in April 2008
(see Incidents).
Matthew Carpenter and Marlon Robinson, who were also found guilty of drug
charges, were jailed for 15 years and 10 years, respectively. Duncan
Berry and Aymon Popo received three-and-a-half year sentences. Three
other men were cleared of firearms offences.
Wigan Today,
9 October 2009
Anthony Seddon from Wigan,
Lancashire, was jailed for six-and-a-half years in January 2009 after
being found guilty of drugs offences, money laundering and possession of a
stun gun. He has now bee
stripped of £200,000 by the courts.
Sunderland Echo,
9 October 2009
A man who had a
.22 calibre air rifle in the front
bedroom at his home in Sunderland has admitted possession of a
firearm while prohibited through previous convictions. The rifle was
tested by experts and found to be capable of firing 31.77 fps and
therefore lethal. He was given a 36 weeks prison sentence suspended for
12 months with supervision and programme requirements.
Scarborough Evening News,
9 October 2009
Jamie Snow carried out a
string of violent robberies across Yorkshire in 2008, including one in
Scarborough when he threatened to shoot a man, as well as robbing a
taxi driver and threatening pizza shop workers with a fake firearm.
Earlier this year he admitted robbery, attempted robbery and possession of
an imitation firearm and was jailed
for 11 years. He has had his sentence reduced on appeal and now has
an eight-and-a-half jail and will remain on an "extended licence" for five
years after he is released. The other offences were carried out in
Bramley (Yorkshire Evening Post, 13 October 2009).
Liverpool Daily Post,
9 October 2009
Seven firearms and ammunition
have been recovered from gardens in Old Swan and Kirkby on
Merseyside. A man has been charged with possession of three firearms
and ammunition. A number of other people including a woman and two
teenagers were arrested.
BBC,
9 October 2009
Nathan Harris, 16, was found
guilty of murder after he set off a train of events which led to the
killing of a man in Shepherd's Bush, west London, in December
2008 (see Incident).
He made a series of calls after spotting the victim who had "dissed" his
friend. Within 35 minutes the victim was shot dead. Two men
and the 17-year-old were cleared of murder. Harris has been jailed
and will serve a minimum of 16 years. Khalid Elsheikh, who was
cleared of murder, was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of a
separate charge of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life (BBC,
14 October 2009).
BBC,
9 October 2009 *
A video has emerged which
apparently shows a police officer in body armour allowing himself to be
shot with a powerful air pistol.
The footage which also shows him firing at his friends has been put on
YouTube. The pistol is sufficiently powerful to shatter a glass
bottle with a single shot. A spokesman for the Metropolitan
Police said it was investigating. The probe has failed to
identify the culprit (Press Association, 14 May 2010).
BBC,
9 October 2009
A 15-year-old boy sustained
serious injuries when he was shot in the chest in Clapham, south
London. A man gave himself up to police and is being questioned (Mirror,
27 October 2009).
This is Wiltshire,
8 October 2009
Police seized two guns, an
air rifle and an
imitation handgun, knives and cash during a drugs raid in
Devizes, Wiltshire. A teenager was arrested on suspicion of
possession of drugs with intent to supply.
Daily Mail,
8 October 2009 *
Chanelle Merryweather has
pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon after she was caught with
a loaded gun, a Browning 7.65mm pistol, in her handbag outside a disco in
Brunswick, Manchester, in April 2009. She was 16 at the time
and was minding the weapon for her boyfriend Sammy Geldard, 19, a member
of a Manchester gang. He has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm.
Merryweather has been given a two-year supervision order, Geldard was
jailed for five years (BBC, 4 November 2009).
Croydon Guardian,
8 October 2009
A man used a handgun to
threaten staff at a building society in South Croydon, south
London. He fled empty-handed after staff activated a security
screen.
Cambridge News,
8 October 2009
Nineteen-year-old Nathaniel
Tume has pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm during a robbery has been sent to a young
offenders' institution for two-and-a-half years. He brandished the
weapon, a cigarette lighter which looked like a handgun, at a 13-year-old
boy and threatened to shoot him, forced him to hand over his mobile phone.
The incident occurred in Haverhill, Suffolk, in October 2008.
His accomplice Thomas Spinks was jailed for three years and four months.
Warrington Guardian,
7 October 2009
A man who had stood outside
another man's home with a chainsaw running was found to have a samurai
sword in the boot of his car, an air pistol
in his trouser pocket and a wrap of cocaine when he was arrested by
police. Andrew Pickles from Lymm, Cheshire, was given 80
hours community service.
Wandsworth Guardian,
7 October 2009
Two youths on motor scooters
fired shots into a car in Battersea, south London. No one was
hurt but the car windows were smashed.
This is Wiltshire,
7 October 2009
A teenager was robbed at
gunpoint by two youths who forced him to hand over his mobile phone and
wallet. The incident took place as the victim walked along a street
in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Two suspects were arrested and both
charged with robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm.
This is Derbyshire,
7 October 2009
Peter Roper admitted
possession of a stun gun which police
found during a search of his home in Derby. He was given a
17-week prison term, suspended for two years.
Northampton Chronicle &
Echo,
7 October 2009
A woman has been left
terrified after having the window of her living room in Northampton
shot at. It was the third time the home's windows have been smashed.
Police believe an air weapon was
involved.
Hounslow Chronicle,
7 October 2009
A man was in a critical
condition in hospital after being shot in Feltham, west London.
Hemsworth and South
Elmsall Express,
7 October 2009
An
air rifle, baseball bat and drugs were found during raids in
South Elmsall, West Yorkshire.
BBC,
7 October 2009
A man carrying a handgun
entered a post office in Ouston, County Durham, and demanded cash.
When the postmaster refused he left the store empty-handed. The gun
was not discharged.
BBC,
7 October 2009
A man was chased by armed
police officers after being seen with what is believed was a
gas-powered pellet gun at Tottenham
Court Road underground station, central London. A man was
arrested and remained in custody.
BBC,
7 October 2009
A man aimed a pistol at the
face of a moped rider man and pulled the trigger in West Hampstead,
north west London. The gun failed to fire. The man was
attempting to escape from the police and was trying to steal the moped.
He was later arrested as was a second man. Three guns and a quantity
of diamonds were recovered. Tests are being carried out to find out
why the gun did not go off.
Wiltshire Times,
6 October 2009
Shelley Douglas disposed of an
air rifle for her boyfriend after he
had brandished it in a street in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, in March
2009, during a fracas with another man. She pleaded guilty to
perverting the course of justice and was given a two year conditional
discharge. Firearms charges against her partner, Jason Inman, were
dropped and he was bound over to keep the peace after admitting a public
order offence.
St Albans & Harpenden
Review,
6 October 2009
A 19-year-old who was jailed
after robbing a pregnant woman at gunpoint has had his sentence reduced.
He had threatened to shoot the woman and her unborn child before stealing
puppies, mobile phones and a kitchen knife. Niikwao Nunoo from
Welham Green, Hertfordshire, had pleaded guilty to two counts of
robbery and possession of an imitation firearm.
He had his sentence reduced from six years to five years.
Norwich Evening News,
6 October 2009
A burglar who pleaded guilty
to robbing an elderly widow and asked for 32 other offences to be taken
into consideration also admitted possessing an air weapon. Police
found a spring-loaded air weapon,
which Minnie Boy Lee was banned from owning, in his caravan at Mile
Cross, Norfolk. He said the firearm had been one he had picked
up on his travels. He was jailed for two years and nine months for
all the offences.
Mirror,
6 October 2009
A man has been arrested after
police allegedly found a firearm, stun gun,
CS gas and a grenade in Islington, north London. The man had
been wanted since 2006 in connection with an armed robbery in Liverpool.
Herald (Plymouth),
6 October 2009
An
air rifle sniper shot a teenage car driver, hitting him in the
wrist. The shooting took place as the victim was driving along a
street in Plymouth.
Guardian (Epping
Forest, Waltham Forest, Woodford & Wanstead),
6 October 2009
A group of men began firing
shotguns in a field in Epping,
Essex, before driving off on a at least one quadbike. The police say
they have found no evidence of any gunfire but residents are convinced
that shots were fired.
Evening Courier,
6 October 2009
A pensioner has been found
shot dead in Brighouse, West Yorkshire. It is believed he had
suffered a single gunshot wound. Police say they are not treating
his death as suspicious.
BBC,
6 October 2009
A teenager was shot in the
shoulder in Dovecot, Merseyside. Police believe the victim
had been targeted. Three men and two women have been arrested.
BBC,
6 October 2009
A man was shot dead in a
street in Clapton, east London. Police were called following
reports of gunshots and found the victim with gunshot wounds. He
died at the scene. Two men have been arrested. The shooting is
thought to be part of a feud between drug gangs and detectives are
examining possible links between this murder and the fatal shooting of a
man in Tottenham a few days earlier (Times, 7 October 2009).
Stroud News & Journal,
5 October 2009 *
A man from Minchinhampton,
Gloucestershire, has appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to
possessing a firearm, a bolt action rifle, a pre-charged
air rifle and two sound moderators
without a firearms certificate, and to one count of possessing expanding
ammunition and one count of possessing ammunition without holding a
firearms certificate. He was given a nine month suspended sentence
(see March 2010 Incidents).
Hertfordshire Mercury,
5 October 2009
Gary Childs has been given a
12-month community order after being caught with an
air pistol in Turnford,
Hertfordshire. He was stopped by police on suspicion of drink
driving and the pistol was found in his van. (See
January 2009 Incidents)
Harrow Times,
5 October 2009
A man has appeared in court
charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm. He was arrested
as part of a probe into armed robberies across Brent and Harrow,
north west London.
Evening Standard,
5 October 2009
A policeman had a pistol held
to his head after he chased and cornered a youth who had shot at him in Hackney,
east London. The offender was one of four youths on bikes the
officer wanted to question.
Birmingham Mail,
5 October 2009
Four men, two of them
teenagers, who terrorised shopkeepers in a spate of attacks on stores and
off-licences have been sent to a young offenders' institution for between
four-and-a-half and six years and three months. Chioke Williams
admitted three robberies, one attempted robbery and four charges of
possession of an imitation firearm and
handling stolen goods. Daniel Dubidat, Jason Woodley and Nathan Ali
each pleaded guilty to two charges of robbery, one attempted robbery and
three charges of possessing an imitation firearm.
The gang were caught after an attempted robbery in Hamstead, West
Midlands, in May 2008 when the shopkeeper refused to open the till and his
son raised the alarm.
Beeston Today,
5 October 2009
Police ordered a pub landlady
in Beeston, West Yorkshire, to lock in her customers amid fears
there was a gunman on the loose. There was a clash between a group
of youths and reports there had been a shooting and stabbing. Five
teenagers were arrested and an air rifle
recovered from the scene.
BBC,
5 October 2009
Paul Allen has admitted
conspiracy to kidnap, rob and possessing a firearm and been jailed for 18
years. He was part of the gang responsible for the £53 million robbery at a
security depot at Tonbridge, Kent in 2006 (see
Incidents).
BBC,
5 October 2009
A firearm thought to have been
a pistol was discharged on a street in South Tyneside. The
weapon was used to fire a blank. A man was being held on suspicion
of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and a second man
has also been arrested (BBC, 6 October 2009).
BBC,
5 October 2009
Two men and a woman are being
held by police on suspicion of violent disorder and possession of a
firearm following reports of a shooting in Bedford.
Guardian,
4 October 2009 *
A man was in a serious
condition in hospital after he was shot by police marksmen in Holloway,
north London. The police had been called after reports of gunshots
and they confronted a man firing from a property. A man has admitted
possessing an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence (see
March 2010 Incidents).
Northern Echo,
3 October 2009 *
A man armed with what is
believed to have been a handgun walked into a bank in Redcar,
Teesside, and threatened staff and customers. He left empty handed.
A man has pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm with intent to cause
fear of violence (see November
2009 Incidents).
BBC,
3 October 2009
A man has been shot dead in
his car by a motorcyclist in Tottenham, north London. The
victim was shot in the head and managed to leave his vehicle before
collapsing in the street.
Wembley & Kingsbury
Times, 2
October 2009
Three men, one armed with a
gun and another with a knife, robbed a mini-mart in Wembley, north
west London. Cigarettes and alcohol were stolen.
This is Lincolnshire,
2 October 2009
A high-powered
airgun that fires ball bearings and a
cannabis plant were seized by police during one of three drug raids in
Lincoln.
This is Kent,
2 October 2009
A man seen waving a gun around
in the car park of a supermarket in Sittingbourne, Kent, was
arrested for possession of an imitation firearm.
Redditch & Alcester
Standard, 2
October 2009
Liam Chakanetsa ordered
another man to hand over cash, drugs and a mobile phone after mistaking
him for a drug pusher. He rammed an
imitation gun into his victim's mouth in a mugging in
Redditch, Worcestershire. Chakanetsa pleaded guilty to robbery
and having an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear and has been
jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Messenger,
2 October 2009
Ian Foden has admitted
possession of a firearm and ammunition and been sentenced to five years in
prison. A 9mm self-loading pistol and 19 rounds of ammunition were
recovered when police executed a warrant at his home in Stretford,
Greater Manchester.
Lancaster Guardian,
2 October 2009
A teenager brandishing an
air rifle shot at three police officers
from the window of his home in Heysham, Lancashire. One
officer was hit in the chest, another in the groin and a third in the
buttocks. Several cars were damaged. A 19-year-old has been
charged with three counts of criminal damage, three counts of assaulting a
police officer, affray, possession of an air rifle with intent to endanger
life and possession of an air rifle with intent to cause fear of violence.
Dewsbury Reporter,
2 October 2009
A
stun gun was among a stash of weapons and cannabis were seized
by police during a raid on a flat in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
A man was arrested.
BBC, 2 October 2009
Two men carrying a
shotgun stole a bag containing a large
sum of money from a car which had been waiting at traffic lights in
Cradley Heath, Birmingham.
Weston & Somerset
Mercury, 1 October 2009
A taxi driver sustained an
injury to his finger when an airgun
pellet was fired through the window of his vehicle in Weston-super-Mare,
Somerset.
Tottenham, Wood Green
& Edmonton Journal, 1 October 2009
Police are offering a £20,000
reward for information about men responsible for the rape of a pregnant
woman in her home in Finsbury Park, north London, in May 2008.
Three men forced their way into the house, pushed a man to the floor and
held an object believed to be a sawn-off shotgun
to his head. They ransacked the house and one of the attackers
forced the woman to perform a sex act, threatening to shoot her and her
boyfriend if she didn't obey him. Property and a car were stolen.
This is
Gloucestershire, 1 October 2009
A man was arrested after
reports of gunfire in Gloucester. A man was firing an
air rifle at a fence in a car park.
This is Walsall,
1 October 2009
There have been a number of
shooting incidents in Bloxwich, West Midlands, in the last month.
Four separate attacks have happened in the High Street which the
perpetrator has taken random pot shots at people. A car window was
smashed with what was believed to be an air rifle
pellet, a woman was shot at three times, a man was shot in the arm and an
eight-year-old girl was narrowly missed by a pellet.
BBC, 1 October 2009
Passengers were left shaken
after a weapon, thought to be a shotgun,
was fired at a bus in Bradford. Two windows were damaged.
SCOTLAND
Evening News, 31 October 2009
Stephen Henderson was caught
with a handgun in a car park in Hermiston Gait, Edinburgh, in
August 2008. He admitted having the illegal weapon and was given a
life sentence.
BBC, 29 October 2009
A teenage woman was forced by
two teenage men, armed with what looked like a handgun, to hand over money
from the till of a cafe in Edinburgh. They fled with only
£40.
BBC, 29 October 2009
Jae Robertson, 16, was part of
a masked gang which beat up a man in Aberdeen who had tried to calm
a disturbance (see August 2009
Incidents). The victim was disfigured during an attack with a
stun gun. Robertson has been sent
to a young offenders' institution for two-and-a-half years.
Evening News, 28 October 2009
Mark Cochrane from
Linlithgow, West Lothian, went to his ex-wife's home with a black
imitation handgun and threatened her
husband. His victim believed it was a real gun. Cochrane has
pleaded guilty to breach of the peace and to breaching the Firearms Act by
causing his victim to fear unlawful violence and has been jailed for
nearly three years.
BBC, 28 October 2009
Brian McCulloch, Steven
Caddis, Stephen Jamieson and Gary Caddis have pleaded guilty to supplying
illegal drugs and have been jailed for ten, six, eight and five years
respectively. During raids on properties in Glasgow,
Paisley and Clydebank which formed part of the surveillance
operation on the men, the police seized two Mac 10 machine guns, three
sawn-off shotguns, four
shotguns, 11 rifles, eight handguns and
3400 rounds of ammunition.
BBC, 28 October 2009
A man has been reported to the
procurator fiscal over an alleged firearms incident on farmland, south of
Foveran, Aberdeenshire. A number of armed police officers
attended the incident.
BBC, 24 October 2009
A man with a
stun gun-type weapon tried to rob a woman
in Maryhill, Glasgow. He threatened his victim and demanded
she hand over her bag, but she managed to fight him off and he fled
empty-handed.
stv, 23 October 2009
Michael Coyne was caught with
a handgun he had been asked to look after just minutes earlier. He
was stopped by police in Parkhead, Glasgow, in June 2009 after he
was seen putting the firearm down the front of his trousers. He
admitted three firearm charges and was jailed for five years and two
months.
Evening Express, 21 October 2009 *
Michael Fraser has admitted
carrying an imitation firearm and
causing a 13-year-old boy to believe it would be used against him.
The offence took place in a street in Aberdeen in October 2008.
He has been put on probation for two years and ordered to do 150 hours of
community service (Press & Journal, 13 November 2009).
The Sun, 15 October 2009
A man who sparked a security
alert when he threatened to send someone armed with a
shotgun to a nursery school in Coupar
Angus, Perthshire, in May 2009 to settle a row has admitted breaching
the peace. Alexander Donaldson was fined £360.
Highland News, 15 October 2009
Kyle Angus has been ordered to
carry out 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty to drug
charges and with having in his possession an electronic
stun gun. The drugs and gun were
found at his house in Inverness in March 2009.
BBC, 14 October 2009
A man who robbed a pharmacy in
Ayr in January 2009 whilst armed with his son's
toy gun has been jailed for six years.
Colin Rae admitted taking cash and drugs.
Teletext, 11 October 2009
A woman has allegedly been
shot in the face with an airgun in
Montrose. A man has been arrested.
Perthshire Advertiser, 9 October 2009
Adam Stirling has admitted
assaulting a 15-year-old girl by "discharging a
BB gun at her leg to her injury" in Milnathort,
Kinross-shire, in September 2008. He also admitted injuring a
12-year-old girl by firing a catapult. He was one of three teenagers
who attacked children in the town in 2008 who were condemned as "utterly wicked" by a sheriff. He was ordered to pay compensation to his
victims and must return to court after attending a three-month
rehabilitation course for offenders.
Evening Telegraph and Post, 9 October 2009
A 15-year-old girl has been
partially blinded after being shot in the eye with a pellet from a
BB gun. It is feared that because
of significant damage to vital blood vessels the victim may never recover
her sight fully. She was walking with a friend in Whitfield,
Dundee, when they were approached by a youth who shot at them several
times. Both girls were hit in the attack. A 13-year-old has
been arrested and charged (Press & Journal, 10 October 2009).
Evening News, 7 October 2009
A pensioner has been left a
prisoner in his flat in Leith by a gang of youths. He fears
the gang may have started using airguns
on his home after finding a pellet-sized hole in a bedroom window.
BBC, 6 October 2009
Fourteen people have been
arrested over suspected firearms offences in a major anti-crime drive,
Break the Circle of Violence, run by Strathclyde Police.
Daily Record, 3 October 2009
Keyvan Karami from
Musselburgh, Midlothian, was caught in
possession of a stun gun. He has
been sentenced to 200 hours' community service (Daily Record, 16
October 2009).
WALES
South Wales Argus, 29 October 2009
Jamie Thomas has admitted
possession of an imitation firearm, a BB gun,
in a public place for possession and possession of an
air rifle. Both charges related to
an incident in Brynmawr, Gwent, in March 2009.
BBC, 27 October 2009
A man from Caerphilly,
Mid Glamorgan, who was arrested under the Terrorism Act has been charged
with possessing a firearm, an improvised muzzle loading firearm, and also
explosive substances.
South Wales Echo, 24 October 2009
David Evans was found by his
landlord to be growing cannabis in his property in Pontypridd, Mid
Glamorgan. He has admitted possessing and producing cannabis,
abstracting electricity and two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon,
a pepper spray and a stun gun.
He was jailed for 18 months.
South Wales Echo, 20 October 2009
David Rees was caught in
possession of a stun gun in
Portmead, Swansea. He admitted he was unlawfully in possession of
a prohibited weapon, a stun gun. He also pleaded guilty to using
violence for the purpose of securing entry to a home. He will be
sentenced later.
South Wales Echo, 17 October 2009
Martin Clayton was given a
26-week prison sentence, suspended for two years after he admitted being
in possession of a prohibited weapon. A
stun gun was found when police were called to a pub in
Pontyclun, Mid Glamorgan, in April 2009.
Daily Post, 15 October 2009
A woman has described how
masked robbers armed with a gun attacked her family during a raid at the
home in Colwyn Bay, Clwyd, in August 2009. The men forced her
partner to hand over cash and fled.
BBC, 15 October 2009
A suspect who walked into a
bank in Sketty, Swansea, is believed to have been carrying a black
coloured handgun. He asked staff members to open a door leading to a
secure area but left empty handed when they refused. There are
believed to be links to another attempted robbery on a bank which took
place in Swansea in August 2009 (BBC, 21 October 2009).
South Wales Evening Post, 13 October 2009
A number of weapons and stolen
property have been recovered by police searching for James Stevenson who
escaped from court in Swansea after being sentenced for a firearms offence
(see below). Fourteen premises in the Swansea area and as far
a field as Cardiff were searched, and among the weapons found were
air weapons and a
BB gun.
South Wales Evening Post, 7 October 2009
Alan Smith from Neath,
one of a number of men who have admitted drug offences, also pleaded
guilty to unrelated firearms offences, involving his unlawful possession
of an air pistol and two
air rifles in February 2008. He was
jailed for six years.
South Wales Evening Post, 7 October 2009 *
A court has heard how a
postmaster in Briton Ferry, West Glamorgan, was held at gunpoint
during a robbery in May 2009. Two men armed with a pistol and a
samurai sword stole £26,000 from a safe. Richard Morgan has pleaded
guilty to the robbery. His brother Ryad Morgan pleaded not guilty
but was found guilty. Ryad Morgan was jailed indefinitely and will
serve a minimum of six years. Richard Morgan was given a seven-year
sentence (South Wales Evening Post, 11 November 2009).
BBC, 1 October 2009
James Stevenson from
Dyfatty, Swansea, was given a five year jail sentence after admitting
possessing a .410 shotgun and
breaching the terms of his licence. Minutes later he absconded but
has since been recaptured (BBC, 19 October 2009).
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
Arbroath Herald, 30 October 2009
A cat has been left weak and
still in need of veterinary treatment after being shot in Arbroath,
Angus. A pellet from an airgun
or BB gun is lodged inside her chest.
Midhurst and Petworth
Observer,
29 October 2009 *
A cat has had to have a leg
amputated after being shot with an air rifle
near his home in Southwick, East Sussex. His back leg was
shattered by the shot.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 27 October 2009
A cat who limped into her home
in Wootton Fields, Northampton, with a swollen, misshapen front leg
had been shot with an air rifle.
She had to undergo an operation to remove a pellet.
West Lothian Courier, 22 October 2009
A cat has needed three weeks
of intensive vet care after being shot with a
shotgun. He went missing from his home in Broxburn,
West Lothian, and was
found a few days later after crawling through a catflap in a nearby house.
He had injuries to his face, jaw and legs.
Selby Times, 22 October 2009
A cat was found battered, shot
and abandoned in the middle of a main road in Selby, North
Yorkshire. She has been treated at a vets and is now being cared for
by one of the police officers who found her.
Oxford Mail, 22 October 2009
A cat had to have a four-hour
operation after she was shot with an airgun
in Wantage, Oxfordshire. A pellet lodged millimetres from her
spine.
Telegraph & Argus, 19 October 2009
A cat found limping with blood
on her legs by her owner in Oakenshaw, Bradford, had been shot with
an airgun. A pellet lodged in
her shoulder was removed in an operation.
This is Leicestershire, 13 October 2009
A pet dog was fatally shot in
Shepshed, Leicestershire. It died three days after being hit
with an airgun pellet.
Eastern Daily Press, 13 October 2009
A cat is recovering after
being shot with an air rifle in
Watton, Norfolk. He was found bleeding under a bed at his
owner's home and an examination at the vets showed he had a pellet lodged
in his shoulder.
Cambs Times, 13 October 2009
A swan with two three barbed
hooks embedded in its face, which was rescued from the River Great Ouse
close to Ely, Cambridgeshire, was also found to have an
air weapon pellet in its chest when
examined by a vet.
RSPCA, 12 October 2009
A cat seen limping and then
found under a car in Luton, Bedfordshire, was discovered to have two
air weapon pellets lodged in his abdomen. He was put to
sleep to prevent further suffering.
Evesham Journal, 12 October 2009
A cat was treated by vets
after it was shot in the shoulder with an airgun
in Evesham, Worcestershire.
Romford Recorder, 9 October 2009
A cat shot twice with an
air rifle in Gidea Park, east
London, may have to be put down. Her owner first thought she had
been hit with a car but X-rays revealed two pellets lodged inside her.
Northern Scot, 9 October 2009
A cat from Forres,
Morayshire, has been maimed for life after an air
rifle pellet shattered his left foreleg.
Evening Telegraph (Northants), 9 October 2009
A cat is recovering after
finding its way home having been shot and missing for four days. The
pet was shot with a pellet gun or an
air weapon in Corby,
Northamptonshire. An RSPCA inspector said it was lucky she was not
more seriously injured.
Western Morning News, 5 October 2009
Two stags belonging to a
landowner in Pixton, Somerset, have been shot and killed with a
high-powered rifle.
This is Derbyshire, 3 October 2009
A pet dog has been shot in the
garden of his home in Sinfin, Derby. His owner discovered a
pellet-sized hole on the side of his face. A neighbour reported
heading a gunshot at the time of the injury.
Wigan Today, 1 October 2009
A cat has been blinded in one
eye after being shot with an air rifle
in Kitt Green, Greater Manchester. Her owners say she was
lucky to be alive.
Get Bracknell, 1 October 2009
A prized racing pigeon has
been shot and killed in Sandhurst, Berkshire. The bird was
found in a ditch by its owner. The shooting was the latest of a
number of incidents involving airguns
in the area. Police have seized several air weapons in recent weeks.
Evesham Journal, 1 October 2009
A barn owl, one of the
country's most protected species, was found shot dead in Pershore,
Worcestershire. It appears that a person wielding an
air rifle was responsible.
