OCTOBER 2010
We prepare
a monthly review of gun incidents, focussing on those that raise key
issues about the nature of gun crime and the adequacy of gun legislation.
Items that have been amended or added to the list since the
Review was written are marked (*).
ENGLAND
Herald
(Plymouth),
31 October 2010
A man
armed with a handgun demanded cash from a storekeeper in Plymouth.
He grabbed notes and made off.
Liverpool Echo,
30 October 2010
Gary
McGain hid a potato peeler in a sock so it looked like a gun and pointed
it at the head of a cashier at a bookmakers in Aintree,
Merseyside. He targeted the premises on two occasions in April and June
2010. He has pleaded guilty to two charges of robbery and two of
carrying an imitation handgun and been jailed for five years.
Yorkshire Post,
29 October 2010
A gunman
who shot a man in the stomach with a
sawn-off shotgun at the victim's home in Whinmoor,
Leeds, in April 2010 (see
Incidents) has been convicted of
attempted murder, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and
possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate. The judge said
Dwayne Mitcham appeared to have an obsession with guns. The victim
spent six weeks in hospital and still faces further surgery. Three
other men are all awaiting sentence for conspiracy to assault the
victim's son. Mitcham has been ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years.
The
Star,
29 October 2010
There
has been a spate of incidents involving BB
guns in Bolsover, Derbyshire. A crackdown on their
sale at local markets has been launched.
Peterlee Mail,
29 October 2010
A man
formerly from Hartlepool, Teesside, has been charged with two
counts of possessing an air pistol
and one of possessing ammunition after being arrested during an armed
raid on his house in July 2010. He was banned from owning any firearm
for five years under the conditions of his release from a previous
custodial sentence.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo,
29 October 2010 *
Ian
Scott armed himself with a firearm or a knife during a spree of bank and
building society robberies and a kidnapping in Northamptonshire. In
December 2009 he was armed with a gas-powered
air weapon during a robbery at a bank in Kingsthorpe
and two days later he fired the imitation
pistol at police officers who came to arrest him after a
robbery in Wolverton. He admitted to ten robbery and firearm
offences. He was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence and will serve
a minimum of eight years (Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 21
January 2011).
Kent
Online,
29 October 2010
Myles
Condon from Gravesend, Kent, has been sentenced to four years in
prison after threatening to kill a man, whilst armed with an
imitation gun and commando knife
during an incident in December 2009.
Express & Echo,
29 October 2010
An
inquest has heard that a man who was found dead on Dartmoor,
Devon, in April 2010 shot himself with a
double-barrelled shotgun. A verdict of suicide was given.
Evening Chronicle,
29 October 2010
John
Masters used an imitation firearm
to strike another man across the head as he slept on a settee at a house
in Heaton, Tyneside. Masters let slip he had committed the
offence, which took place in May 2003, whilst being held in a safe house
as a protected witness. The victim suffered memory loss and sleeping
problems after the attack. After an agreement with the Serious
Organised Crime Agency the judge suspended a nine year jail term for
inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, telling Masters "These are
exceptional circumstances".
Evening Chronicle,
29 October 2010
A cache
of weapons including a blank-firer pistol
and an air pistol were seized
during raids in North Shields, Tyneside, aimed at drug
suppliers. Two men and two women were arrested.
Coventry Telegraph,
29 October 2010
A man
burst into a house near Solihull, West Midlands, before
threatening and robbing a family. He was armed with what police
described as either a real or replica
small handgun.
Bolton News,
29 October 2010
A family
in Deane, Greater Manchester, were threatened at gunpoint during
a robbery at their home. Five men armed with a gun, a machete and an
axe ransacked the house and stole jewellery and about £150,000.
BBC,
29 October 2010
Police
removed two guns from the Wavertree and Fairfield areas of
Merseyside after community intelligence. Three men arrested in separate
incidents appeared in court charged with firearms offences. One, who
was arrested in Fairfield, was charged with possession of a
firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Another man
arrested in Dovecot was charged with the same offence, and a
teenager from Wavertree was charged with possession of a firearm
and possession of ammunition without a certificate (Liverpool Daily
Post, 30 October 2010).
BBC,
29 October 2010
A man
who was shot in the stomach on Merseyside, drove himself to
hospital. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The
victim was not assisting the police with their inquiries.
BBC,
29 October 2010
A man
has been charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition without a
certificate. The gun and ammunition were found during a police raid on
a caravan in Hockwold, Norfolk, in August 2010.
Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard,
28 October 2010
Vincent
Price, an ex-army marksman, fired an airgun
six or seven times at a group of teenagers at Pool Keynes,
Gloucestershire, in May 2010. He was angry they were swimming and
disturbing his fishing. He admitted possessing a firearm and affray.
He was given a suspended 50 week jail sentence and a two year community
order with a condition that he underwent an anger management course.
BBC,
28 October 2010
A
17-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with
intent to cause fear after police were called to a domestic dispute in
Marston, Oxfordshire. It was reported that a firearm had been
seen. The firearm turned out to be an air
rifle.
Nottingham Post,
27 October 2010 *
A female
security guard was attacked during an attempted armed robbery on a post
office van in Sherwood Rise, Nottingham. The two men involved
were believed to have been armed with firearms but failed to steal any
money before making off in a car. The victim sustained injuries when
one of the weapons was fired but these were not serious (BBC, 27
October 2010). Four men have been arrested in connection with this and
a robbery in Wollaton (see below) (Nottingham Post, 10
November 2010).
Harrow Observer,
27 October 2010
Two
teenagers were being questioned by police after they were stopped in
Brent, north west London, and one of them was found to be carrying a
replica Glock handgun loaded with
blanks.
Harrow Observer,
27 October 2010
Police
found a stash of guns and rounds of ammunition during a raid on a flat
in south Kilburn, north west London. They discovered a
sawn-off shotgun, three pistols and
more than 20 rounds of ammunition. A man was arrested.
East
Anglian Daily Times,
27 October 2010
A
shotgun was stolen during a burglary
at a property in Shelland, Suffolk.
Clitheroe Advertiser,
27 October 2010 *
Farhan
Syed and Mohammed Syed from Simonstone, Lancashire have admitted
affray after attacking a vehicle in which a former business associate
was travelling with his two young children. Allegations of making a
threat to kill and possessing an imitation
firearm were left to lie on the file (Lancashire Telegraph,
5 December 2010). They were given sentences of 15 months and 12 months,
respectively (Burnley Express, 8 December 2010.
Chester Chronicle,
27 October 2010
An
air rifle, a Winchester 177
eight-shot repeater model, was among items taken from a house in
Blacon, Chester, during a burglary.
BBC,
27 October 2010 *
A
17-year-old suffered a fatal gunshot wound during a disturbance in
Mill Hill, north west London. The police are investigating if the
boy died in a planned fight between rival gangs. A man has been charged
with murder and ten teenage males and a woman have been arrested in
connection with the shooting (BBC, 31 October 2010). Four young
men have been charged with murder (BBC, 21 January 2011).
BBC,
27 October 2010
Two boys
aged 13 have discovered a gun, believed to be a loaded self-loading
pistol, and 26 rounds of ammunition on an embankment in Bury,
Greater Manchester.
Barnstaple People,
27 October 2010
Four
properties in the centre of Barnstaple, Devon, had windows
smashed by what police believe was an air
weapon fired from a vehicle.
Waltham Forest Guardian,
26 October 2010
A man is
in a life-threatening condition after being shot. He arrived at a
hospital in Waltham Forest, north east London, but it was not
known where the shooting happened. The victim was described as being
“uncooperative”. A shotgun has
been recovered. It was later reported that he was probably hit in a
street in Walthamstow where several loud bangs were heard.
Manchester Evening News,
26 October 2010
Lorenzo
Mason has been sentenced to five years after raiding a bookmakers in
Levenshulme, Manchester, in June 2010. He pointed a gun at the cashier
and was caught on CCTV. He had handed himself into the police under
pressure from his mother and pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing of
an imitation firearm. The deputy
manager was so traumatised that she has since left her position
(Manchester Evening News, 27 October 2010).
Lynn
News,
26 October 2010
A man
has been charged with possessing an air rifle
with intent to cause fear of violence and with possessing an
imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence. The offences are alleged to have happened in
Terrington St Clement, Norfolk, earlier this month.
Local Guardian,
26 October 2010
A man
has appeared in court accused of shooting another man in the leg while
allegedly trying to burgle a flat in Streatham, south London. He
faces charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary
and possession of a firearm.
Herald Express,
26 October 2010
A
14-year-old boy has been arrested for taking pot shots at other children
with a ball-bearing gun. The
incident occurred at a park in Paignton, Devon. It was reported
that an 11-year-old boy was shot in the face.
Epping Forest, Waltham Forest, Woodford & Wanstead Guardian,
26 October 2010
Mohammed
Abow was sentenced to eight years in jail following a police raid in
April 2010 on a flat in Ilford, east London, where officers found
a Skorpion submachine gun, a Browning self-loading pistol loaded with 13
rounds of ammunition and another ten rounds of 9mm ammunition and 17
shotgun cartridges.
Chelmsford Weekly News,
26 October 2010
John
Bailey, a gun collector from Chelmsford, Essex, has been given a
six-month suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to possessing a
prohibited weapon. He believed the barrelling of the modified replica
Colt 45 pistol was blocked and it was incapable of being fired but
police test-fired it. It was illegal under the Firearms Act because of
the self-contained gas cartridge system. The gun had been given to him
as a gift by his son and will be forfeited and destroyed.
Wisbech Standard,
25 October 2010
An armed
response unit was called to a house in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire,
following reports of a man seen brandishing a firearm. Police spoke to
a man who had three shotguns in
his home. He was arrested for suspected breach of the peace but was
later released without change. The shotguns were legally-possessed.
Times & Star,
25 October 2010 *
A post
office in Great Broughton, Cumbria, was raided by two men,
believed to have a gun. They fled empty-handed. Police are tentatively
linking this raid to four others in Cumbria (BBC, 8 November
2010). Two men have now been charged. One of them, aged 19, is charged
with attempted robbery, possession of a firearm and conspiracy to rob (BBC,
12 November 2010). A handgun has been recovered by police investigating
the robberies (BBC, 25 November 2010).
This
is Hull and East Riding,
25 October 2010 *
Neil
Warelow fired pellets from a Huntington Beech G10 repeater
.177 calibre airgun, at an off-duty
policeman and his family when they parked outside his home in Hull.
Warelow, who was annoyed with people parking outside his home, fired
three times from a bedroom window leaving pellets embedded in the car.
He has pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence and will be sentenced later. He has been jailed
for six months (This is Hull and East Riding, 7 January 2011).
Nottingham Post,
25 October 2010
Two men
were arrested after a woman was threatened with “what appeared to be a
machine gun” in Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire. A weapon, believed
to be a ball-bearing gun, was
recovered. The two men, both teenagers, will face no further action (BBC,
26 October 2010).
Manchester Evening News,
25 October 2010
Two men
brandishing a gun held up a fast-food restaurant in Urmston,
Greater Manchester. They forced staff to hand over a small amount of
cash.
Kent
Online,
25 October 2010
A man
has been remanded in custody after being charged with robbery and
possession of an imitation firearm
in connection with a raid at a bookmakers in Strood, Kent, in
September 2010. A second man arrested in connection with the robbery
has been released on bail.
The
Enquirer,
25 October 2010
Two men,
one armed with a handgun, entered a store in Chelmsford, Essex,
as it was being opened by a shop assistant and forced him into a back
room where they assaulted him. He was made to open the safe and a
substantial sum of cash was stolen.
Clacton Gazette,
25 October 2010
Two men
who went to a house in Clacton, Essex, in May 2010 (see
Incidents) to collect a debt and
forced their way in, pushing a woman to the floor, have admitted a
charge of affray. Richard Sayers also admitted a charge of common
assault. They denied charges of aggravated burglary and possession of
an imitation firearm to cause
fear, but these charges will be left on file. Sayers and David Coe were
both jailed for 27 months.
Birmingham Post,
25 October 2010
The
founder and chair of Staffordshire's Rural Police Liaison Group has
described how he has been shot at on Cannock Chase where the herd
of wild deer makes it a prime target for poachers. Gamekeepers in the
country have been threatened with guns and with being shot by armed
poachers.
Leicester Mercury,
23 October 2010
A gang
of robbers armed with hammers and a crowbar were challenged by shoppers
at a store in Kibworth, Leicestershire, who stopped pelting them
with groceries when the three men said they had a gun. The gang
attacked two security guards who were delivering cash. A substantial
amount of money was stolen.
Guardian,
23 October 2010
A
16-year-old has been shot dead and another teenager, believed to be 15,
was taken to hospital where his condition was said to be stable after
two gunmen opened fire on a group of young friends in Plaistow,
east London. Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Trident’s unit are
investigating. The murder victim died from a bullet wound to the chest,
the other boy was shot in the abdomen (BBC, 24 October 2010).
BBC,
22 October 2010
Two men
brandishing a gun threatened staff at a sandwich shop in Leeds.
They fled with a quantity of cash. In a similar incident last month two
men, one with a handgun, ordered staff at the shop to hand over the
takings (Yorkshire Evening Post, 25 October 2010).
Yorkshire Evening Post,
22 October 2010
Hundreds
of weapons seized by police in Leeds are to be destroyed. The
arsenal is mostly made up of air weapons
and BB guns recovered from
incidents of anti-social behaviour involving youths.
The
Star,
22 October 2010
A gun
attack in Sheffield was spotted by police on CCTV. Nobody was
hurt but a police investigation has led to one arrest.
Staines News,
22 October 2010 *
Matthew
Nutley has been convicted of a three hour hostage siege at a bank in
Ashford, Surrey. He admitted six charges of robbery, blackmail,
false imprisonment, possessing an imitation
firearm with the intent to commit robbery, placing an article
at the bank with the intent to cause an explosion and possessing a
knife. The siege took place in June 2010 (see
Incidents). He has been jailed
for at least seven years (Get Surrey, 26 November 2010).
Harrow Times,
22 October 2010
A man
was shot in the head while in his car in Harrow, north west
London, and is fighting for his life in hospital. An eye witness
reports hearing two shots. The victim has since died in hospital (Harrow
Times, 28 October 2010). Four men and three women have been
arrested in connection with the shooting (Harrow Observer, 28
October 2010). Three men have been charged with murder (Harrow
Observer, 1 November 2010).
Express & Star,
22 October 2010 *
A man
allegedly pointed a gun at a member of the public and threatened to
shoot as he ran from police after a car crash in West Bromwich,
West Midlands. The car had been taken from a woman in a car key
burglary in Stourbridge. Police recovered a
sawn-off shotgun hidden in a bag.
He is one of three men accused of possession of a firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession
of a stolen car and number plates. Craig Hickinbottom, Dean Isitt and
Conor Cox, 18, have been found guilty of having the shotgun and being in
possession of a stolen car and its false number plates (Express &
Star, 6 November 2010). Hickinbottom was jailed indefinitely with a
minimum of four-and-a-half years (Express & Star, 9 December
2010), Isett was jailed for nine years and Cox received a four year
sentence (Express & Star, 13 December 2010).
BBC,
22 October 2010
A man
has been shot in the leg in an incident believed to have occurred in
West Derby, Liverpool. The victim is currently in a stable
condition in hospital.
BBC,
22 October 2010
Two men
armed with a gun and a sledgehammer threatened staff at a post office in
Marton, Blackpool in Lancashire. They left empty-handed but smashed
up the shop with the sledgehammer.
The
Argus,
22 October 2010
Dennis
Taskin has admitted illegally possessing ammunition and five guns.
Police found an arsenal of firearms, all of which were capable of being
fired, when they raided his home in Hove, East Sussex, in
December 2009. The guns were an Uzi semi-automatic pistol, three
revolvers and an antique long-bore pistol. Taskin, who also admitted
possessing drugs, was jailed for six years and nine months.
West
Ealing and Hanwell Gazette,
21 October 2010
David
List has been found guilty of committing a bomb hoax, having an
imitation gun with intent to commit an offence, criminal damage and
breaching a restraining order. He broke into his former friends' home
in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, and told police he had booby trapped
the property with explosives at the beginning of a litany of abuse.
After being refused entry to the house in April 2010 when his former
friend saw a gun List broke in again and locked himself inside. A
replica Browning pistol was found at
his home in West Ealing, west London, after police raided it. He
is due to be sentenced in December.
This
is the West Country,
21 October 2010
A
12-year-old boy took pot shots with a
ball-bearing gun at fellow students at a school in Taunton,
Somerset. He hurt at least one other child who suffered bruising and
reddening of the skin.
This
is Local London,
21 October 2010
A pub in
Croydon, south London, has been shut down after drugs, stolen
drink and a stun gun were
found in it. The pub had been linked to recent burglaries.
Coventry Telegraph,
21 October 2010 *
A man
was arrested in Allesley, West Midlands, after an armed
stand-off. The suspect was on parole and had been recalled to prison
following an allegation of serious assault. A handgun was recovered at
the scene. A man has pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited
firearm and two counts of being in possession of ammunition without a
licence (see
January 2011 Incidents).
Cambridge Times,
21 October 2010
Henrijs
Rudups from March, Cambridgeshire, has pleaded guilty to a charge of
illegally importing ammunition. He was stopped at the Port of Dover,
Kent, in October 2009 and when asked if he was carrying anything illegal
freely produced a box from under his seat which contained a blank firing
pistol and two rounds of CN Mace gas cartridges. He said he had no idea
that he could not bring them into the UK. He has been jailed for one
year.
Bury
Times,
21 October 2010
A man
was found in the Parkhills area of Bury, Greater Manchester, with
a shotgun wound to his foot. He was taken to hospital for treatment but
his injury is not thought to be life threatening. It is believed he was
shot at from a car.
BBC,
21 October 2010
Two men
armed with a gun have held up a post office security van in Wollaton,
Nottingham. One of the guards was taken to hospital after the
incident. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo,
20 October 2010
A man is
in court charged with two counts of possessing a firearm and threatening
specialist officers with the weapon during a seven-hour stand-off in
Northampton in May 2010 (see
Incidents). The weapon was an
air pistol and the accused had been
drinking cider before the incident. He has denied both charges.
Harrow Observer,
20 October 2010
Emiljan
Shega, 19, stashed two self-loading pistols in the back garden of his
home in Wembley, north west London. A silencer and 23 rounds of
ammunition as well as two rounds loaded with a noxious substance were
also buried. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a prohibited
firearm, possession of an accessory to a prohibited firearm, possession
of ammunition and possession of prohibited ammunition and was sentenced
to five years in jail.
Cambridge News,
20 October 2010
Davinder
Auja who had terrified his neighbours in Cambridge and posted
threats on Facebook pointed a gun at police when they went to his home.
The weapon was an air pistol
fitted with a laser sight. He was said to have been 'within seconds' of
being shot by officers before he dropped the gun. He has been jailed
for 14 months after he admitted possessing a firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence.
The
Star,
19 October 2010
An
inquest has heard that a man found dead with a gunshot wound in
Gleadless, Sheffield, in January 2009 (see
Incidents) had barricaded himself
into his flat when police officers arrived to arrest him for allegedly
breaching a non-molestation order sought by his partner. During a
48-hour siege a shot was fired through the door and a police officer was
saved from serious injury by his helmet. The man had previously been
seen by doctors who concluded he was not unwell enough to be sectioned
under the Mental Health Act. Before the siege he had thought people
were talking about him and collected weapons. According to the reports
he was gripping the trigger of a 'rifle' when he was found but had a
shotgun wound and more than 40 small shotgun pellets were recovered from
his brain. The police were unaware he owned guns but had been given two
deactivated rifles as a birthday present by his ex-wife (The Star,
27 October 2010). The inquest jury recorded a verdict that he took his
own life. The coroner is set to recommend changes in the way
information is passed to police in siege situations (The Star, 29
October 2010).
Evening Post
(Bristol),
19 October 2010 *
Liam
Dimond has pleaded guilty to 10 offences relating to a haul of dangerous
weapons found in his luggage as he tried to smuggle them through
Bristol Airport in August 2010. The arsenal included a rechargeable
torch/stun gun disguised as a
mobile phone. He claimed he wanted them to "decorate" his bedroom. He
has been ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and will be
supervised by the Probation Service for 12 months (Evening Post
(Bristol), 9 November 2010).
Bolton News,
19 October 2010 *
John
Waldron has pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery plus seven counts of
stealing heavy machinery. In September 2009 at a club in Milnrow,
Greater Manchester, where he was a committee member, he posed as a
victim when he was pushed into the club by another man, Mark Brown, who
was pointing a gun to his head. Brown took more than £4,000 from the
club safe. The pair committed another robbery at a house in
Littleborough in October 2009 when they were armed with a machete.
Brown had pleaded guilty to both robberies, possession of an
imitation firearm and possession of
an prohibited weapon in March 2010 and was given an indefinite jail
sentence reduced to 10 years on appeal. Waldron was sentenced to 10
years in jail and four years for the thefts. Waldron's appeal for a
reduction in his sentence was dismissed (Bolton News, 2 March
2011).
BBC,
19 October 2010
People
riding two motorbikes in Norris Green, Liverpool, were seen
firing a gun. No-one was injured. Three teenagers have been arrested (BBC,
22 October 2010).
Yorkshire Evening Post,
18 October 2010
Scott
Whittard from Whinmoor, Leeds, was stopped by police officers in
September 2010 who found a stun gun,
a cosh and a knife in his vehicle. He was given a 26-week suspended
sentence and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and was given
supervision requirements.
Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury,
18 October 2010
Richard
Ayers has been jailed for 14 months after pleading guilty to possessing
a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He put the gun to the
head of a waiter at a restaurant. He had earlier told a woman who had
befriended him to shut up and put tape over her mouth after she saw the
gun at her home in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. The weapon was
an imitation.
Manchester Evening News,
18 October 2010
A man
walking home from church in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater
Manchester, was shot in the back of the head with a pellet from an
air weapon. The pellet embedded
itself in the top of his head.
The
Gazette,
18 October 2010
A
property in Cleveleys, Lancashire, was raided by armed police
after reports a man inside had a gun. A man was arrested on suspicion
of making threats to kill and possession of a handgun. No weapon had
yet been found.
The
Citizen
(Blackburn),
18 October 2010
Neighbours of a former paper mill in Feniscowles, Lancashire who
heard explosions and rapid rifle sounds later discovered that the noises
were from a police firearms training exercise which residents had not
been told about. The noise consisted mainly of 'sound effects' designed
as part of the training of firearms officers. No guns were discharged.
Burton Mail,
18 October 2010
Twin
teenage brothers and a third youth have each been sentenced to 32
months' custody after an incident which began in Burton,
Staffordshire, in July 2010 (see
Incidents). Adam and Junaid Yunus
and Asher Douglas were in a car pursued by police after reports of
gunfire in a street. Officers saw objects being thrown from the car
including a BB gun, an exact replica of a
Glock self-loading firearm. The three men were arrested when
the car was stopped. An identical loaded gun was found at the twins'
flat in Birmingham. They admitted two charges of possessing firearms
and Douglas one similar charge. All three also admitted other charges.
BBC,
18 October 2010
A boy
was injured in a suspected shooting in Nottingham. He was taken
to hospital for treatment and has since been discharged.
BBC,
18 October 2010
Two
people have been arrested after police were contacted by a member of the
public who thought they saw a handgun in a car in Northampton.
Two people had been seen to pass a handgun between them. Officers
seized an air weapon.
Waltham Forest Guardian,
16 October 2010
Police
arrested one man and three teenagers after they found a loaded
shotgun while on patrol in
Walthamstow, north east London. All four have been released on bail
(Waltham Forest Guardian, 17 October 2010).
Wandsworth Guardian,
16 October 2010
Drugs,
guns and cash were found police during a raid on a flat in Battersea,
south London. An Uzi machine gun, a Beretta handgun and a Glock handgun
were recovered. A man has been arrested.
Birmingham Mail,
16 October 2010
Drinkers
at a pub in Yardley, Birmingham, were robbed of jewellery by an
armed gang. The robbers threatened the licensee with what was believed
to be a pistol and also took the takings from the till.
BBC,
16 October 2010
A man
suffered shotgun pellet wounds to
his arm after a shot was fired through a window of a house in
Withington, Manchester. His injuries are not thought to be
life-threatening.
The
Star,
15 October 2010
Police
cracking down on nuisance motorcyclists in Barnsley, South
Yorkshire, have seized two air weapons
and a pistol when a man was stopped. In a separate operation an
air pistol was seized during a drugs
raid in the town.
Southern Daily Echo,
15 October 2010 *
Three
teenagers were arrested after an air rifle
was fired several times close to a primary school in Winchester,
Hampshire. One man was struck by a pellet and a box being carried by a
delivery driver was also targeted. The police seized an air rifle and a
quantity of pellets. A 17-year-old has been charged with firing an air
weapon beyond premises. The other two teenagers, both aged 16, were
arrested on suspicion of common assault. Two teenagers have been given
referral orders (see
November 2010 Incidents).
The
News,
15 October 2010
Darren
Jones was caught carrying an air rifle
in public. He had the gun and ammunition on him in Waterlooville,
Hampshire. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in a public place
and failing to attend court and was fined £100.
Liverpool Echo,
15 October 2010
Carl
Russell, 18, suffered life-threatening injuries when he was shot at his
home in Belle Vale, Liverpool, in January 2010 (see
Incidents). Police discovered a
loaded Glock pistol and ammunition at the house. The gun had been used
in three separate shootings in Belle Vale in November and December
2009. Russell, who had gunshot residue on his clothing, has admitted
possessing a firearm and ammunition and been jailed for five years and
four months.
Kent
News,
15 October 2010 *
Corey
Graham pointed an imitation firearm
at staff during raids on bookmakers in Gillingham, Kent, in April
2010 and nearby Rochester in May 2010 (see
Incidents). He has pleaded guilty
to both robberies and been jailed for more five years and four months (This
is Kent, 5 November 2010).
Grimsby Telegraph,
15 October 2010
Two
firearms and one replica firearm
were among items seized by security officers at the Crown Court in
Grimsby, Lincolnshire, last year.
Evesham Journal,
15 October 2010
Stephen
McGoldrick who raided six homes in Warwickshire and Worcestershire has
pleaded guilty to all charges. In the first burglary in Peopleton,
Worcestershire, in June 2010 he stole three
shotguns as well as other items.
BBC,
15 October 2010
Two men
on a motorbike fired several shots at a house in Salford. Nobody
was hurt but a door and window were damaged in the attack.
BBC,
15 October 2010
Uwais
Ilyas has admitted possessing a gun used to terrorise a man and his
family outside their home in Fulwood, Preston, in February 2010
(see
Incidents). He will be sentenced
later. A charge of conspiracy to murder was dropped and another charge
of possessing of a firearm with intent to endanger life was also
discontinued. Conspiracy to murder and firearms charges against four
other people were dropped.
Wiltshire Times,
14 October 2010
A man
with a sawn-off shotgun fled
empty-handed from a store in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, after
threatening staff. He left when they refused to hand over cash.
This
is the West Country,
14 October 2010
A woman
found a small hole in the sunroof of her car outside her home in
Bridgwater, Somerset. She believes it was caused by a gun and
thinks she is the latest victim of a spate of
airgun shootings around the town.
Kingston Guardian,
14 October 2010
Two men,
one carrying a pistol, stole a cash box from a bank in Tolworth,
south west London. The men rode away on a motorbike.
Independent,
14 October 2010
A
postman was recovering after being shot in the head with an
airgun pellet while on his round in
the Clearings Estate area of Leeds. He felt a sharp pain in the
back of the head and fell to the ground bleeding heavily from the
wound. A local man has been given a police caution. He told police he
had been firing at milk bottles within his garden when one of the
pellets missed its target and hit the postman. He also told officers he
was give up his air rifle and never own an air weapon again. The victim
was still off work recovering eight days after the incident (Yorkshire
Evening Post, 19 October 2010).
Express & Star,
14 October 2010 *
A
jewellery store owner had a handgun held against his stomach during an
armed raid in Palfrey, West Midlands. A quantity of jewellery
was taken. A man has been charged with attempted robbery and possession
of a firearm in connection with this and another robbery in Smethwick
in November 2010 (see
Incidents). Two men have admitted
the robbery in Smethwick and one has pleaded guilty to the robbery in
Palfrey where he was in possession of an imitation firearm (see
February 2011 Incidents).
Daily Mirror,
14 October 2010
Martin
Jones, described as a firearms enthusiast, shot his wife dead by firing
at her nine times and then killed himself with a musket at their home in
Brabourne Lees, Kent, in December 2009 (see
Incidents). An inquest was told
that his wife had been planning to leave him. Verdicts of unlawful
killing and suicide have been recorded.
Burton Mail,
14 October 2010
A youth
court has heard how a 9-year-old girl was threatened by a teenager with
a ball bearing gun bought from a
pound shop. The girl was walking home from school in a village near
Burton, Staffordshire, in December 2009, when one of a group of
youths took out a gun and said "I'll shoot you". The teenager has
admitted a charge of pointing an imitation firearm at the girl with
intent to cause harassment or distress. He was given an eight month
referral order and ordered to pay the victim £50 in compensation.
BBC,
14 October 2010
A man
threatened staff at a bookmakers in Bulwell, Nottingham, with
what is believed to have been a firearm. He escaped with an undisclosed
amount of money.
Lincolnshire Echo,
13 October 2010
Three
men, one aged 18, who allegedly fired shots from a block of flats in
Lincoln in July 2010 (see
Incidents) have walked free after
the case was dismissed on a technicality. The shots had been reported
by a member of the public and the three men were charged with having an
air weapon which they had used to fire a missile beyond premises.
However, the case was thrown out because of the unresolved question over
whether or not the weapon, a Classic Army
Airsoft Electric Rifle, was covered by the Firearms Act
1968. The Crown Prosecution Service was still waiting for an expert
assessment on this point from a firearms officer. Defence solicitors
argued the type of gun should have been established before anyone was
charged. Apparently if the weapon is spring-loaded it is not an offence
but if it is an air weapon it is illegal.
Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette,
13 October 2010
Three
men ambushed a bank security van in Concord, Washington in County
Durham, as security guards arrived to drop off cash at a bank. A gun
was pointed to the head of one guard. It is not known how much the
raiders got away with.
Avon
and Somerset Constabulary,
13 October 2010 *
Police
were called after a report that a man had threatened another man with
what appeared to be a gun in the centre of Wells, Somerset.
After negotiators had made contact with a man in a flat he was
arrested. He has been charged with possession of a firearm with intent
to cause fear of violence, and criminal damage (BBC, 15 October
2010). The weapon was a BB gun, a
full size replica of a Smith and Wesson Model 59 9mm automatic pistol (This
is Somerset, 21 October 2010). A man has pleaded guilty to the
possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear and violence (see
March 2011 Incidents).
Wandsworth Guardian,
12 October 2010
Police
have found one thousand rounds of ammunition, three handguns and a
shotgun in two lock-up garages in
Roehampton, south west London. A woman has been arrested.
Times Series,
12 October 2010
Lulian
Anisiu has pleaded guilty to being involved in a robbery at a post
office in East Barnet, north London, and possessing an
imitation firearm. He was one of
three men involved who left the shopkeeper with life changing injuries.
The victim was repeatedly kicked and punched before the gang stole
£11,800 worth of cash and stamps. Anisiu was jailed for six years.
This
is Gloucestershire,
12 October 2010
A man
threatened the three residents of a house in Cliffords Mesne,
Gloucestershire. It is thought he was carrying a
shotgun or
replica firearm. He tied up the
victims then stole a mobile phone and £400 in cash.
Telegraph & Argus,
12 October 2010
Avtar
Singh pointed a gun at vehicles and pedestrians, including children, in
street in Bradford in June 2010 before being disarmed by police.
He pleaded guilty to having an airgun
with intent to cause fear of violence. He claimed he took the gun out
with him for protection and that his hobby was shooting pellets in his
back garden for target practice. He was jailed for ten months and the
weapon was destroyed.
Lincolnshire Echo,
12 October 2010
A man
who brandished a BB gun in a pub
garden in Lincoln in January 2010 has admitted affray. William
Elkington took the gun into a pub and left it behind the bar for safe
keeping. He later asked for the gun back, took it into the garden and
held the weapon to the chin of another customer. He was given a
12-month community order and an alcohol treatment programme.
BBC,
12 October 2010
A man
was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was shot in
the arm and back in Ordsall, Greater Manchester. The victim was
treated in hospital and has since been released.
BBC,
12 October 2010 *
A man
has been shot in the thigh in a drive-by shooting in Wythenshawe,
Greater Manchester. His injury is not life-threatening and he is
recovering in hospital. The weapon involved has been allegedly linked
to a man who faces trial in the United States accused of smuggling more
than 60 handguns into Britain (see
January 2011 Incidents).
BBC,
12 October 2010 *
A man
has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was found
suffering from gunshot wounds in Hebburn, South Tyneside. The
victim was taken to hospital but his injuries are not thought to be
life-threatening. It has been reported that the victim was on bail for
a firearms offence (having a firearm with intent to endanger life) after
a car was damaged by a shot from a shotgun
in Jarrow in September 2010. Six people have been arrested in
connection with the more recent incident, four on suspicion of attempted
murder (Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette, 15 October 2010). The victim
has been jailed for 18 months after admitting threatening to take
revenge. He had told another man "you are going to die" while
pretending to point a gun at him (Shields Gazette, 15 March
2011).
Yorkshire Post,
11 October 2010
An
inquest has heard that a semi-automatic pistol was found by police when
they searched two cars left behind at the railway station in Luton,
Bedfordshire, by the men responsible for the suicide bombing attacks in
London on 7 July 2005.
Waltham Forest Guardian,
11 October 2010
A woman
is in a critical condition after she was shot as she was sitting in a
car in Walthamstow, north east London. She is no longer in a
life-threatening condition and is likely to recover from her injuries (Waltham
Forest Guardian, 13 October 2010).
This
is Gloucestershire,
11 October 2010
A man
and a woman were arrested after a Class A drug,
shotgun shells and cash were found
at a house in Gloucester.
This
is Cheshire,
11 October 2010
A
security guard was threatened with a handgun and another handcuffed when
two men targeted them as they were servicing an ATM machine at a
supermarket in Penketh, Cheshire.
Northern Echo,
11 October 2010
Imran
Miah brandished an imitation firearm at his pregnant wife and in front of their
daughter at their house in Darlington, County Durham, in April
2010 after an argument about him having an affair. Police who were
called to the house found the gun and a black padded glove with a 5 inch
spike. Miah admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence and possessing an offensive weapon and was jailed
for two-and-a-half years.
Northern Echo,
11 October 2010
Two men
were shot in a back alley in Spennymoor, County Durham. One
victim sustained a minor injury and did not require treatment. The
other man remains in hospital but was not seriously hurt. Two men, one
aged 18, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Five
other men were subsequently arrested (BBC, 12 October 2010). One
man has been charged with Section 18 wounding (BBC, 13 October
2010). Two shotguns have been
found by police investigating the shootings (BBC, 22 October 2010).
Echo,
11 October 2010 *
Firearms
officers were called to an address in Southend, Essex, after
shots had been fired. A man was arrested. He has been charged with
possessing an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence (Southend Standard, 12
October 2010). A man has been jailed for 18 months (Echo, 14
March 2011).
Local Guardian,
10 October 2010
A man
who was shot in Tulse Hill, south London, was taken to hospital
where his condition was described as stable. Two cars collided during
the incident.
Nottingham Post,
9 October 2010
A woman
found a shotgun cartridge in a
tin of sweets bought from a supermarket in West Bridgford,
Nottingham. A police spokesman said the tin had been packed at a plant
in West Yorkshire.
News
& Star,
9 October 2010
A shop
assistant was left scared after a pistol fell out of a man's pocket in a
store in Carlisle. He was stopped by a PCSO and handed over an
unloaded and locked air pistol.
He had just been to a gun shop to get advice on the weapon. David
Jefferies admitted having an air weapon in a public place. He has been
put on a curfew and ordered to pay a contribution to court costs.
Ilkeston Advertiser,
9 October 2010 *
Police
have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection
with a robbery at a shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The robbery
took place in July 2010 and witnesses described the suspect holding a
gun. A man has been arrested (BBC, 12 November 2010).
Hackney Gazette,
8 October 2010
A
16-year-old girl has been arrested after a handgun and seven live
bullets were found in a home in Haggerston, east London.
East
Anglian Daily Times,
8 October 2010
A man
has been arrested after police executed a drugs warrant at an address in
Lowestoft, Suffolk. Cannabis and a firearm were found inside, as
well as a large quantity of cash.
East
Anglian Daily Times,
8 October 2010
A man
from Wattisfield, Suffolk has been charged with a number of
offences including four counts of rape, five counts of indecent assault
and possession of an air weapon
when prohibited.
Daily Echo,
8 October 2010
Colin
Douglas broke into a garage in Weymouth, Dorset, armed with an
air rifle he had stolen from a
caravan at a local farm the day before. He was sentenced to two years
in prison for the charge of aggravated burglary and 12 months
concurrently for the charge of handling stolen goods.
BBC,
8 October 2010
A man
seen carrying a weapon and wearing a bulletproof vest on a Tube train in
central London was an employee of a "laser tag" game firm in his work
outfit and the weapon was a laser gun. Armed police had been called to
Waterloo station and the man was spoken to "very sternly".
Wigan Today,
7 October 2010
Two
teenagers were threatened at gunpoint during a robbery in Atherton,
Greater Manchester. They were confronted by a man who produced a
handgun and told one of them to empty his pockets. A second man
appeared and told the other teenager to empty his pockets as well.
Three other men were involved. Cash and a mobile phone were stolen.
The
Press,
7 October 2010
An
11-year-old boy is alleged to have fired a BB
gun in the playground of a primary school in Stillington,
North Yorkshire. Other children were playing in the playground at the
time. A letter has been sent to parents informing them of the incident.
Muswell Hill Journal,
7 October 2010
Armed
police stormed a house in Muswell Hill, north London, after a man
was spotted with a gun. Four people were arrested.
Liverpool Echo,
7 October 2010
Shaun
Connors was caught delivering an Uzi sub-machine gun in the car park of
a fast food restaurant in Southport, Merseyside, in November 2009
(see
Incidents). He admitted
possessing a prohibited weapon the sound moderator. He handed the gun
to Liam Miller who later threw the weapon out of the window of a
vehicle. Connors was jailed for five years, and Miller had also been
jailed for five years in March 2010.
Evesham Journal,
7 October 2010
A gunman
has been targeting children in Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire,
with an air rifle or
BB gun. There were three incidents
last month, which all involved 10-year-old children. One girl cyclist
was shot in the leg by a teenage boy, eight days later another girl was
also shot in the leg by a young male and the following week a boy was
shot in the back.
Evening Post
(Bristol),
7 October 2010
Stephen
Taylor has admitted cultivating cannabis at his home in Barton Hill,
Bristol, possessing an extreme porn video and a prohibited
stun gun. Another man was also
convicted of growing cannabis. Taylor was given a two-year jail
sentence.
BBC,
7 October 2010
An
inquest jury has found that Mark Saunders, the barrister shot by police
marksmen in Chelsea, west London, in May 2008 (see
Incidents), was lawfully killed.
He had been drinking alcohol during a five-hour armed stand-off with
police and fired shots from his shotgun
out of the window of his home.
Wigan Today,
6 October 2010
Two men
armed with crowbars and a sawn-off shotgun
walked into a bank in Wigan, Greater Manchester. They ordered
customers to lie on the ground before escaping with cash.
Telegraph & Argus,
6 October 2010
An
inquest has heard how a farmer went to the barn at his farmhouse in
Stanbury, West Yorkshire, with a shotgun
and shot himself in May 2010. He had about six guns that he kept in the
kitchen. He had been in and out of hospital and been in so much pain he
could not work. The coroner said he was satisfied that the man had
intended to take his own life.
Northern Echo,
6 October 2010 *
A young
woman has died from shotgun
injuries at a cottage she shared with her partner in Middleham,
North Yorkshire. There are no suspicious circumstances and the police
are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. A
verdict of suicide was recorded at an inquest into her death (see
March 2011 Incidents).
Lancashire Evening Post,
6 October 2010
A man
has been shot in the leg as he walked through a cemetery in Ribbleton,
Preston. The incident took place in September 2010 but he has only just
reported it. The victim went to hospital for treatment. He may have
been shot with some kind of air rifle.
Get
Surrey,
6 October 2010
A
replica handgun was among items found
at a home in Walton, Surrey, during a police search for suspected
stolen property. The items had been taken from a home in Hersham
two days before. A 17-year-old boy was arrested.
This
is Lancashire,
5 October 2010
A
landlady at a pub in Clitheroe, Lancashire, has been shot in the
face with a BB gun and received
minor injuries. A teenager ran into the pub and shot her before running
away. A 16-year-old was arrested and given a final warning by police
for a minor assault.
Kent
Online,
5 October 2010
Paul
Jarvis has admitted possessing an imitation
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He broke the
tube from a walking frame and held it under his arm to make it look like
a shotgun. He was apparently trying to get himself killed by armed
police during a siege at his grandfather's house in Minster,
Kent, in January 2010. He has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment
suspended for two years with supervision.
Express & Echo,
5 October 2010
Daniel
Trump, 19, bought a BB gun that
looks similar to a Heckler and Koch USP self-loading pistol whilst on
holiday in Majorca in May 2010. He showed it to customs officers at
Exeter Airport when asked if he had anything to declare. When
examined it was described by firearms officers as a realistic pistol.
He pleaded guilty to bringing a realistic imitation firearm into Great
Britain. He was given a 12 month conditional discharge. The gun will
be destroyed.
Daily Echo,
5 October 2010
A man
wielding an air rifle threatened
staff at a newsagents in Poole, Dorset, during an attempted
robbery. No shots were fired and no one was injured.
Lancashire Telegraph,
4 October 2010
A
suspected semi-automatic gun was found on a coffee table at a home in
Blackburn, Lancashire, in one of a number of police raids aimed at
cracking down on suspected heroin and crack cocaine dealing. The gun is
thought to have been adapted to shoot ball bearings.
Grimsby Telegraph,
4 October 2010
Another
taxi driver in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, has claimed she was shot at
as she was driving. The latest incident caused minor damage to the
car. Last month there had been reports of
airgun pellets being fired at taxis.
Express & Star,
4 October 2010 *
Two men
were seriously injured when shots were fired during a party at a bar in
Smethwick, West Midlands. One victim was in a critical condition
and the other was stable with injuries that are not thought to be life
threatening. A licensing review hearing has decided not to renew the
bar's licence (BBC, 3 November 2010).
Daily Mail,
4 October 2010 *
A man is
believed to have killed himself with his own rifle. His body was
discovered inside a garage in Sutton, south west London, about
two miles from his home. He had a licence for the rifle he used in his
pest control business (Croydon Guardian, 5 October 2010). The
inquest concluded that he killed himself (see
February 2011 Incidents).
Bolton News,
4 October 2010
Two men
have been arrested after staff at a convenience store in Tonge Moor,
Bolton, were threatened and a taxi driver was robbed two hours later.
One of the men had a gun. The men stole £55 from the taxi driver and a
couple of bottles of cider from the shop. An
imitation firearm was later
recovered.
The
Argus,
4 October 2010
For the
second time in 11 days a man has robbed a post office in Hove,
East Sussex. The man, who was carrying what is believed to be a small
pistol, threatened a customer and demanded money from staff. A quantity
of cash was handed over. The robbery is being linked to the one in
September 2010 (see
Incidents).
Telegraph,
3 October 2010
An actor
was rushed to hospital with a serious eye injury after he was shot
during a performance of a musical in a theatre in London's West End.
It is understood that there was a fault with the gun used on stage which
was meant to fire blanks.
Maidenhead Advertiser,
3 October 2010
A loud
bang heard after the occupants of a car were seen arguing with another
man in Slough, Berkshire, may have been a gunshot. The man is
said to have clutched his stomach and walked off. Traces of blood were
found at the scene but it is still unclear if a shot was fired.
BBC,
3 October 2010
Following a report that someone travelling on motorways in Lancashire
had a gun police stopped and searched a vehicle on the M55. No firearm
was found but a woman was arrested and later cautioned for carrying an
offensive weapon.
News
& Star,
2 October 2010
When
Edward Smith was visited by a police officer at his caravan in
Nethertown, Cumbria, after neighbours complained he was behaving
erratically he was found to be unsteady on his feet and had a
12-bore shotgun on his coffee
table. He picked up the gun and kept it on his lap and seemed angry and
aggressive. The officer left and called for back up. Armed officers
arrested Smith. He has been given an eight-month prison sentence,
suspended for 12 months, along with a 12-month community order. His
shotgun licence was revoked and the gun and ammunition will be
confiscated and destroyed.
Derby Telegraph,
2 October 2010
Two live
shotgun cartridges were
discovered in a street in Normanton, Derby, by a member of the
public. They appeared to be normal 12 bore cartridges.
Birmingham Mail,
2 October 2010 *
A man
was shot in the head and groin as he stood outside his home in
Stechford, Birmingham. Gunmen opened fire with a
shotgun from a car. The victim's
injuries were not life threatening.
BBC,
2 October 2010
A
16-year-old boy has been shot several times in Camberwell, south
London. He has bullet wounds to the legs and back and is in a serious
condition, although the injuries are not life-threatening.
This
is Kent,
1 October 2010
Three
men, one of whom may have been carrying a gun, approached two security
guards making a delivery for an ATM at a shop in Otford, Kent.
They sprayed a substance which incapacitated the guards and took at
least one of the cases used to transport cash.
Rye
& Battle Observer,
1 October 2010
A shop
assistant was held at gunpoint and forced to hand over cash at a
supermarket in St Leonards, East Sussex. Two men, one wielding a
firearm, were involved in the raid.
Liverpool Echo,
1 October 2010
Gunmen
on motorbikes fired shots at a property in Bootle, Merseyside.
No one was hurt but an upstairs window was damaged.
Hemel Today,
1 October 2010
A
teenage girl has admitted supplying a friend with a gun and ammunition
which were used to rob a store in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire,
in January 2010. She provided a BB gun and plastic pellets to the 17-year-old and he used the
gun to threaten staff and ordered them to hand over cash. She pleaded
guilty to having a firearm and ammunition in a public place and aiding
and abetting a robbery.
Harrow Observer,
1 October 2010
A
sawn-off shotgun, drugs and stolen
property have been discovered during a series of police raids in Brent.
The gun was found in Neasden, north west London.
Grimsby Telegraph,
1 October 2010
Jamie
Short from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, has been given a three-year
antisocial behaviour order after a string of convictions which included
possessing an imitation firearm.
Express & Star,
1 October 2010
Armed
robbers have raided a restaurant in Oldbury, West Midlands.
Three men, one of whom threatened a worker with what is believed to be a
small handgun, made off with a quantity of cash.
Evening Telegraph
(Peterborough),
1 October 2010
Ten men
were arrested during a series of armed police raids in Peterborough
on suspicion of carrying out aggravated burglaries. An
imitation firearm was recovered from
one address. During one of the burglaries in New England a man
was punched and hit with the butt of a firearm.
Epping Forest, Waltham Forest, Wanstead & Woodford Guardian,
1 October 2010
A man
needed 20 stitches after being shot in the face in Seven Kings,
east London. Officers are trying to trace man seen carrying an
air rifle.
Bolton News,
1 October 2010
Louis
Larsson has been jailed for five years for possessing firearm parts and
reactivation equipment. The UK Border Agency had intercepted two
parcels which had been sent from Canada and the USA and contained parts
for a Colt self-loading pistol. Other gun parts were found at his home
in Bolton, Greater Manchester. He admitted ordering the items
and adapting previously deactivated Colt 45 semi-automatic pistols he
had bought from a militaria shop in Portsmouth.
SCOTLAND
Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser,
27 October 2010
David
Gallagher shot a woman in the throat in Airdrie, North
Lanarkshire, in October 2009 when he fired an
air rifle. The Crown accepted that
the incident, which could have had fatal consequences, was an accident.
Gallagher admitted culpably and recklessly discharging a firearm. He
was ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work in the community.
stv,
25 October 2010
Two men
were shot at a property in Glenrothes, Fife. One of the victims
was fatally injured and a murder inquiry has been launched. It is
understood the murder victim was evicting tenants shortly before the
incident. The other man has been discharged from hospital (Herald
Scotland, 26 October 2010). A man has been charged with murder and
the attempted murder of the second victim (BBC, 2 November 2010).
Evening News,
22 October 2010 *
A man
was shot in the back in the car park of a health club in Newcraighall,
Edinburgh. It is believed he was deliberately targeted by a hitman. He
was under armed police guard in hospital. He later discharged himself (BBC,
22 October 2010). A man due to appear in court charged with attempted
murder was released pending further enquiries (BBC, 23 December
2010).
The
Sun,
21 October 2010
A
takeaway delivery driver in Paisley was robbed by a man armed
with a knife and some sort of air weapon.
He was forced to hand over cash before the offender fled.
Evening News,
19 October 2010
A
14-year-old boy claimed he was going to take four bullets to his school
in Edinburgh. He made the threat on an internet chatroom. The
police searched his home for guns and questioned him on the threats.
BBC,
15 October 2010
A
firearm was apparently discharged in Craigend, Glasgow. A man
heard a bang and later found a pellet or bullet hole in the window of
his bedroom.
stv,
6 October 2010
A man
threatened staff with what appeared to be a firearm at a store in the
west end of Glasgow. He demanded money and fled with a
three-figure sum.
WALES
South Wales Echo,
27 October 2010
Simon
Pittman has admitted robbery and having an imitation firearm after he
held up a betting shop in Trecynon, Mid Glamorgan, in September
2010 (see
Incidents). The weapon was a
Magnum BB gun which he pulled from a
pillowcase and cocked in front of two workers. He has been jailed for
five and a half years. The judge comments that "It's difficult for
someone to imagine the degree of fear created by your actions".
Flintshire Chronicle,
21 October 2010
Two boys
aged 16 and 17 have pleaded guilty to a public order offence of putting
a person in fear of violence following an incident in which a man was
shot with a BB gun as he walked
along a street in Connah's Quay, Deeside. The victim saw three
youths in a bedroom window. The two offenders were placed on community
orders, one for 12 months with 50 hours unpaid work and the other who
had previous convictions for 18 months with 100 hours unpaid work. A
third youth was cautioned.
The
Leader,
19 October 2010
Andrew
Hemus, one of three men convicted and jailed for being involved in a
cannabis factory in Cymau, Clwyd, has had his
shotgun certificate revoked. It was
said in court he had a passion for shooting.
This
is South Wales,
16 October 2010 *
A
13-year-old boy who shot a teacher in the face and pointed a gun at him
a second time after the victim chased him has pleaded guilty to an ABH
charge and to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of
violence. The incident took place at a school in Ystradgynlais,
Powys, in September 2010 (see
Incidents). The gun was a
.177 Beretta CO2
powered air pistol.
He was placed under an eight-month referral order and ordered to pay
£300 to the teacher (Telegraph, 5 November 2010).
Daily Post,
15 October 2010
A mother
from Criccieth, Gwynedd, has explained how her 17-year-old son,
who has a language disorder, had taken his father's
air rifle to go and shoot at birds
but police, alerted by a member of the public, found themselves
confronted by 'a young person with a gun who was not listening to their
instructions'. He was pepper sprayed and restrained because he did not
fully understand what the police wanted. He was charged with a firearms
offence and sentenced to a 12-month referral order after his condition
was diagnosed during the preparation of a pre-sentence report. The
mother was speaking at the launch of a report highlighting the problems
of offenders with communication difficulties.
Daily Mail,
15 October 2010
A
coroner has recorded verdicts of unlawful killing and suicide following
the deaths of a married couple in Sealand, Clwyd, in January 2010
(see
Incidents). Jean Laithwaite
killed her husband by shooting him as he slept with a
shotgun he used for clay-pigeon
shooting. She then drank alcohol and took an overdose of painkillers
and sleeping tablets before drowning herself in the bath. It is
believed that she feared her husband's severe diabetes would kill him
and leave her unable to cope on her own.
Shropshire Star,
8 October 2010
A
taser stun gun and a quantity of
drugs have been seized by police during a raid on a home in Llanfair
Caereinion, Powys.
Daily Post,
7 October 2010
Derek
Roberts, who has been found guilty of robbing a jewellery shop in
Bangor, was also given a two-year sentence for possession of an
imitation pistol found at his house
in Maesgeirchen, Gwynedd, when it was searched by the police
after the robbery.
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
Bolton News,
30 October 2010
A cat
has been shot twice in two separate airgun
attacks in Breightmet, Greater Manchester. The cat was wounded
in its neck and shoulder and two pellets were recovered from its chest
cavity. The vet who treated the cat said it was unbelievable it is
still alive.
Northern Echo,
28 October 2010
Two cats
have been shot with an air rifle
in County Durham. Both pets were seriously injured. One was left
partially blind and was lucky to survive after being shot in Tudhoe
Village, and the other cat was shot in the chest in Ferryhill.
Guardian,
25 October 2010
Deer
experts have condemned the shooting of a giant red stag thought to have
been Britain's largest wild animal. Wild red stags should be protected
during the mating season. It is believed that a licensed huntsman,
probably a European trophy hunter, rather than a poacher was
responsible. Witnesses reported hearing two shots from a high velocity
rifle before seeing the stag's crumpled body lying near Rackenford,
Devon (This is Somerset, 27 October 2010). There are now some
doubts about details of this incident (Guardian, 29 October
2010).
Gazette
(Basingstoke),
23 October 2010
A cat
has been shot in the chest with a .22 air
rifle in Monk Sherborne, Hampshire. A pellet went
through her right flank and into one of her lungs. She is now
recovering from an operation to remove the pellet.
Dumfries Standard,
22 October 2010
A cat in
Eaglesfield, Dumfriesshire, has been shot with a
pellet gun. The cat is currently
recovering after a pellet was found in its leg. The owner’s other cat
had also been shot twice in October and November 2009.
Scunthorpe Telegraph,
21 October 2010
A cat
was killed when its intestines and liver were perforated when he was
shot with an air rifle in
Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. His heartbroken owner has had to pay £370
in vets' bills.
Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News,
21 October 2010
A kitten
had to be put down after being shot with a
pellet gun and then kicked. She was found on her owner's
front lawn in Murdishaw, Cheshire. She had several injuries
including a pellet in the neck. Pellets had also been fired at windows
in the area.
Daily Echo,
18 October 2010
A
teenager discovered her cat shot dead on the family's front lawn in
Boscombe, Dorset. X-rays showed two pellets, one lodged in his
heart. He is the second cat to be shot with an
air rifle in the area within the space of a year.
Echo,
14 October 2010
A cat
has been left with damage to her skull after being shot with an
airgun in Leigh, Essex. Her
owner saw blood on her head and a little hole.
Bath
Chronicle,
14 October 2010
Two
animals in the same street in Lower Swainswick, Bath, have been
shot at close range with an air rifle
in recent months. In the latest shooting a cat was shot in the legs and
is struggling to recover. The other cat was also shot at the end of
July 2010 and has had to have two operations and have a plate screwed in
after her leg was completely shattered. Their owners believe a
disgruntled gardener may be responsible.
South Wales Guardian,
13 October 2010
A kitten
was shot in the head with a pellet gun
in Gwaun-cae-Gurwen, West Glamorgan. An x-ray showed a pellet in
her head. She was lucky to survive the attack. Another cat owner in
the area has come forward to reveal that her cat had been shot with an
airgun last year (South Wales
Guardian, 21 October 2010).
BBC,
11 October 2010
A young
osprey was found in Holmes Hill, Sussex, with a gunshot wound to
its wing. It was treated by a veterinary specialist but died during an
operation. A reward is being offered for information leading to a
conviction.
This
is Sussex,
7 October 2010
A cat
was shot at point blank range in an air rifle
attack in East Grinstead, West Sussex. He was rushed to the vets
but died despite the efforts of the veterinary practice.
This
is Hull and the East Riding,
7 October 2010
A cat
needed surgery after being shot with an
airgun in Longhill Estate, Hull. Her owner found her
bleeding from the neck and felt a pellet in her neck. The pellet was
removed under anaesthetic.
This
is Cornwall,
7 October 2010
A family
in Camborne, Cornwall, have been left distraught after their cat
suffered terrible internal injuries when he was shot with a
pellet gun. A lead pellet was found
in his kidneys during an emergency operation but died.
This
is the West Country,
5 October 2010
A cat
has been shot in the chest in North Petherton, Somerset. An
airgun pellet had gone right through
to the other side of her body and she was lucky that it did not hit a
major organ.
The
Sun,
5 October 2010
A man
has been accused of shooting seagull chicks with an
airgun from his office window in
Aberdeen in June 2010. A report has been sent to the procurator
fiscal.
Isle
of Wight County Press,
5 October 2010
A cat
which was shot in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, has died from its
injuries. The cat was shot in the abdomen with an
air rifle. A 14-year-old boy has
been arrested on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to an
animal.
Evening Post
(Bristol),
2 October 2010
A young
cat came within inches of being paralysed after being shot with an
air rifle in Bristol. X-rays
revealed that a pellet narrowly missed his spine.
This
is Gloucestershire,
1 October 2010
A cat
has been shot with a rifle in Conderton, Worcestershire. He was
left with a large hole between his shoulder blades but came through an
operation to repair the damage. His owner has suggested that poachers
were to blame.
South Yorkshire Times,
1 October 2010
A former
racehorse was shot in the neck with an airgun
in a field in Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire. A pellet was lodged
two inches deep into his mane.
Oxford Mail,
1 October 2010
A cat is
fighting for his life after being hit with 21
shotgun pellets in Cassington,
Oxfordshire. He was found slumped by the back door and an examination
and x-ray showed the pellets lodged inside his body and head and also
revealed a fractured leg. Only six of the pellets could be removed but
he is making a miraculous recovery (Oxford Mail, 16 October
2010).
Evening Courier,
1 October 2010
A cat
which came home with a wound in his leg has had to be put down. The
family pet had been shot with a pellet gun
in Illingworth, West Yorkshire.
