NOVEMBER 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 Local London,
30
November 2009
Wesley Petrie was caught by
police carrying a loaded pistol through the railway station at Abbey
Wood, south east London, in February 2009. He was found guilty
of possessing a firearm with ammunition with intent to endanger life and
sentenced to nine years in jail.
Local Guardian,
30
November 2009
Anthony Perry and Fabian
Dawson have been jailed for 11 years and 10 years, six months,
respectively for a string of robberies, including an attack on a
bookmakers in Gipsy Hill, south London, in September 2008 during
which Dawson made staff believe he had a gun. Both men had pleaded
guilty.
Evening Gazette,
30
November 2009
Lee Kirby who was found with a
.22 air rifle at his home in
Hemlington, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm
within five years of his release from jail. He had received the
rifle from a friend in payment for a loan. He was given a 52 week
jail sentence suspended for two years with supervision and a Thinking
Skills programme.
Clitheroe Advertiser and
Times, 30
November 2009
Two men were arrested after
shooting an air rifle at tin cans in a
garden in Clitheroe, Lancashire, and then aiming at chimney pots
and heating vents on nearby homes. One bedroom window was smashed.
Carl Gillibrand admitted possession of the air rifle with scope and firing
it beyond premises. Stephen Berry admitted the same charges and
causing damage to the window. They were both fined £50 with £80
costs and Berry was ordered to pay £150 compensation.
Telegraph & Argus,
28 November 2009
A post office manager was
pistol whipped during a raid in Manningham, Bradford. The
attackers were both dressed in burkhas. The victim was hit with the
butt of a handgun when he was unable to open a safe and the raiders
panicked and fled empty-handed.
Liverpool Echo,
28 November 2009
The occupants of a car fired
shots at another vehicle at a busy junction in Liverpool. The
victim crashed into a third vehicle. His car had about nine bullet
holes in its side. The assailants' car drove the wrong way along a
street to get away. No one was injured during the incidents.
Bristol Evening Post,
28 November 2009 *
James Waithe has been found
guilty of possessing firearms with intent to endanger life. He had
already been found guilty of conspiring with four other men to supply
drugs. Three of the other members of the drugs gang, Craig Rodel,
Luke Downes and Luke Brooks also have firearm offences to their names.
The gang were armed with three military-issue stun grenades, four rifles,
five handguns, a shotgun and ammunition which were found at a flat owned
by Waithe in Highridge Green, Bristol. Waithe was cleared of
six other firearms offences. Waithe has been jailed indefinitely
with a nominal sentence of 18 years (BBC, 14 December 2009).
yourcanterbury.co.uk,
27 November 2009 *
Police shot a man who was seen
brandishing a gun in a supermarket in Canterbury, Kent. He
was hit in the arm but his injury was not believed to be life threatening.
A few hours later the police found a woman's body at a flat in the city.
The woman is reported to have been the man's girlfriend and is understood
to have been strangled to death. The weapon he brandished was a
BB gun (Kent News, 28 November
2009). A man has been charged with murder and possessing a gun with
intent to cause fear of violence (BBC, 2 December 2009). At
the man's trial a witness has described how a gun was put to his head as
the defendant demanded a ride to the supermarket (yourcanterbury.co.uk,
21 July 2010).
Warrington Guardian,
27 November 2009 *
Two men apparently armed with
a handgun threatened a shopkeeper in Westy, Cheshire, and demanded
she open the till. CCTV footage has been released (Warrington
Guardian, 9 December 2009).
Gazette & Herald,
27 November 2009
A
shotgun was among items stolen during a burglary at a house in
Beechingstoke, Wiltshire.
BBC,
27 November 2009
Two men carrying what police
believe may have been a gun threatened staff and robbed customers at a
restaurant in the centre of Liverpool. They forced people to
hand over valuables including mobile phones and wallets.
Wembley & Kingsbury
Times, 26
November 2009
A 17-year-old has been found
guilty of possession of a firearm and ammunition and conspiracy to supply
crack and heroin. He was caught dealing on the Stonebridge Estate,
north west London, in possession of a loaded handgun. He was one of
twelve drug dealers jailed.
Wembley & Kingsbury
Times, 26
November 2009
Daniel Parara has failed in an
appeal against a seven year sentence he received in July 2009. He
had admitted possession of a prohibited firearm and two counts of
possessing ammunition without a certificate. He had persuaded a
woman to stash two loaded guns, a silencer attachment and more than 100
bullets. Dion Douglas was caught with the weapons travelling in a
cab near her home in Neasden, north west London, in February 2009.
She received a five year sentence.
Oldham Advertiser,
26 November 2009
A shopworker had a gun pointed
at her head in a robbery in Lees, Greater Manchester. Two men
brandishing a handgun and a knife threatened her with the gun and grabbed
the till. The robbers fled with about £300 in cash.
Maidenhead Advertiser,
26 November 2009
A bookmakers in Slough,
Berkshire, has been robbed by armed raiders. Two men
threatened staff members with what police think was a handgun.
Local Guardian,
26 November 2009
A teenage gang robbed a shop
in Streatham, south London. A shopworker had a gun held to
his throat as £300 was taken from the till.
Lincolnshire Echo,
26 November 2009
A bus driver was left shocked
after a drive-by attack with a gas-powered BB gun
in Lincoln which smashed three of the vehicle's windows.
Three teenagers were arrested in connection with the incident. Two
16-year-olds have admitted shooting at people in Lincoln and Newark,
Nottinghamshire (see March 2010
Incidents).
The Leader,
26 November 2009
Two men who wielded a fake gun
to help kidnap a student in a bid to get his £20,000 tuition fees have
failed to reduce their sentences on appeal. Sin Jung Lin and Xiao Bo
Yan had both admitted possessing an imitation
firearm, three counts of false imprisonment, one of blackmail,
two of robbery and one of kidnap. They were jailed for 11 years and
11-and-a-half years respectively in August 2008. The incident had
taken place at the victim's home in Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Express & Star,
26 November 2009
Two men burst into a
bookmakers in Blakenhall, West Midlands. One of them pointed
a revolver-style handgun at the duty manager and a customer was
threatened. The manager handed over the contents of the cash
register, just over £400.
East Anglian Daily Times,
26 November 2009
A number of vehicles on the
A14 around Haughley, Suffolk, have been targeted with a
paintball gun.
BBC,
26 November 2009
A man is recovering from injuries to his
legs, buttocks and lower back after being shot in
Highbury Vale, Nottinghamshire. The man has now been released
from hospital. Police believe the injuries were caused by pellets
from a
shotgun (This is Nottingham, 26 November 2009).
BBC,
26 November 2009
Darren Daisley and Keiron
Snape have been jailed for 12 years and 15 years respectively after a
robbery on a couple in Rugby, Warwickshire, in February 2008.
Daisley pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a firearm and Snape
was found guilty of the same offences. The men had been armed with a
sawn-off shotgun (Coventry
Telegraph, 27 November 2009).
BBC,
26 November 2009
Two men, one armed a pistol,
stole cash from a bookmakers in Worthing, West Sussex. A
worker was forced to empty the till.
BBC,
26 November 2009 *
A man was shot in the head in
an incident in Wombwell, South Yorkshire. Eight people,
including two women were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and
have been bailed. One man has been charged with grievous bodily harm
with intent. The victim is recovering in hospital. The
victim's wife and child were put on the ground with a gun to their heads
before he was shot (South Yorkshire Times, 2 December 2009).
Yorkshire Post,
25 November 2009
A man was arrested following
raids in Undercliffe and Bradford Moor in Bradford after cash and a
decommissioned AK47 rifle were found.
Watford Observer,
25 November 2009
A man from Watford has
been charged with possession of a "rifle style gun" and criminal damage to
a car. It is alleged that he intended to lead a member of the public
to believe "unlawful violence" would be used against him or another
person.
Watford Observer,
25 November 2009 *
Peter Gimlinger used a gun to
rob a service station in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in January 2009
after they refused to serve alcohol past their licensed hours. He
pleaded guilty to armed robbery. The weapon was an
imitation handgun. He has been
jailed for three years (Watford Observer, 9 January 2010).
Wandsworth Guardian,
25 November 2009
Two armed robbers raided a
shop in Tooting, south London. The men entered with a handgun
and took bottles of drink. They hit a victim who was dragged to the
back of the shop.
This is Cornwall,
25 November 2009
Thomas Ware, 19, was drunk
when he shot at three parked vehicles in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, in
July 2009 (see Incidents).
The shotgun he used came into his
possession after it had been stolen during a burglary in June 2009.
Ware admitted possessing a loaded shotgun in a public place and three
offences of criminal damage to vehicles and has been sent to a young
offenders' institution for 16 months.
Telegraph & Argus,
25 November 2009 *
Anthony Scaife and his son Matthew kidnapped a woman and
her 2-year-old child and kept them hostage for 24 hours. Scaife was
in dispute with her over a bill for renovation work. Wearing para-military
gear, the men broke into their house in Skipton, North Yorkshire, armed with a handgun and at least two
shotguns, and took the mother and
child away, telling the woman's husband that they would be killed if he
contacted the police, but he reported the abduction five minutes later.
After being kept in a joiner's workshop for hours the woman and child were
dropped at the side of a road near her home. The men had pleaded
guilty to conspiring to kidnap (Yorkshire
Post, 12 November 2009). When the Scaife's home was searched an
air rifle, double and single-barrel
shotguns and a knife were found. Anthony Scaife was jailed for 12
years, his son for ten years (Telegraph & Argus, 8 December 2009).
The Star,
25 November 2009
A taxi driver was targeted by
a man with an air rifle when he
dropped off a fare in Stannington, Sheffield. He and his
passengers heard a loud bang and the driver found a pellet mark on the
driver's side of the cab just below the window. The police said that
another vehicle had been targeted on the same evening in the same area.
Peterborough Evening
Telegraph,
25 November 2009
Armed police were called to a
house in Millfield, Peterborough, after a man threatened to shoot
officers trying to arrest him. He claimed to have firearms but none
were found in the house after the man had been removed.
Liverpool Echo,
25 November 2009
During drugs raids Merseyside
Police officers arrested 11 people at addresses in Anfield,
Maghull, Bootle, Kirkby and Norris Green on
suspicion of committing a variety of offences including possession of a
shotgun.
Evening Courier,
25 November 2009
Two men wearing Hallowe'en
masks, one of whom was thought to have been carrying a handgun robbed a
bookmakers in Bradford. Two female workers were left shaken
but were uninjured.
Bedfordshire on Sunday,
25 November 2009
Dean Mays stole
shotguns from a house in Shefford,
Bedfordshire, but the guns have not been found. He pleaded guilty to
two burglaries and asked for 14 similar offences to be taken into
consideration and was jailed for a total of four years and nine months.
BBC,
25 November 2009
Merrick Brown has been
convicted of the murder of a man who was shot in the head in East Ham,
east London, in October 2001. He will serve a minimum of 33 years.
BBC,
25 November 2009
Shots were fired through the
window of a house in Consett, County Durham, and a car was also
peppered with shotgun pellets.
Police have moved a family out of the house. Two men have been
arrested, and one has been charged with two other offences after an
air weapon was found at his home (BBC,
27 November 2009).
Liverpool Echo,
24 November 2009
An amateur football match
being played in Speke, Liverpool, had to be abandoned after a brawl
on the touchline in which it was alleged that a gun was produced.
There were no reports of any shots being fired and police found no
evidence of the weapon.
Liverpool Echo,
24 November 2009
A man was shot with a
shotgun outside a bookmakers in Belle
Vale, Liverpool. The victim was talking to another man in the
street at the time. He was taken to hospital with pellet wounds to
his legs but has now been discharged.
Lincolnshire Echo,
24 November 2009
Ben Seare hit a man over the
head with a ball-bearing gun during a
robbery in a street in Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire, in March
2009. He demanded all the money and jewellery his victim had on him
but was pushed away before he hit the man. Seare admitted attempted
robbery and possessing an imitation firearm. He has been jailed for
five years (Skegness Standard, 25 November 2009).
Hull Daily Mail,
24 November 2009
A gun was among items
confiscated by police officers during raids in connection with
counterfeiting at Craven Park market in Hull.
Evening Courier,
24 November 2009
One of a number of complaints
about anti-social behaviour relating to a youth and community shelter in
Wyke, West Yorkshire, is that young people have used a
ball-bearing gun to fire at younger
children.
BBC,
24 November 2009
A couple were handcuffed and
threatened with a gun by a gang of robbers at their home in Salford,
Greater Manchester. Five men have been arrested on suspicion of
robbery and two other men and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of
assisting an offender.
BBC,
24 November 2009
Two shots were fired from a
shotgun during a raid on a building
later found to be a cannabis factory in Bishopsworth, Bristol.
Police were called and arrested a man.
This is North Devon,
23 November 2009
Two men were arrested
following an incident in Bideford, Devon.
Police had received reports that two men had been threatened by a man with a
gun.
Sussex Express,
23 November 2009
PC Simon Burrows has been
presented with a certificate of merit in recognition of his bravery in
disarming a man holding a rifle in Newhaven, East Sussex, in
December 2008. He was called to a domestic incident where the man
ran into a bedroom to avoid being arrested. PC Burrows came face to
face with the gun, grabbed the weapon and disarmed the man and arrested
him.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo,
23 November 2009
Three masked men entered a
bookmakers in Northampton and pointed what may have been a
shotgun at the cashier and demanded
money. The offenders escaped with cash. No-one was hurt during
the incident.
Daily Mail,
23 November 2009
Stephen Spellacy, a former
police officer from Pocklington, East Yorkshire, has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after admitting
two counts of conspiracy to launder money and possession of a weapon and
ammunition. He was part of conspiracy to defraud an insurance
company over several years. When police searched his home they found
a semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. A number of other men were
jailed for their part in the conspiracy.
BBC,
23 November 2009
A couple were robbed at
gunpoint as they were walking to a dance class in Quarry Bank, West
Midlands. The woman suffered a gash to her head during the struggle
and needed stitches. The robber escaped with a bag containing dance
shoes and a pair of glasses.
BBC,
23 November 2009
A band who had just performed
at a pub in Burntwood, Staffordshire, were detained by police after
allegations a firearm had been seen in their van by CCTV operators.
No weapon was found and the men were released without charge.
Weston & Somerset
Mercury,
22 November 2009
Vincent Martin who took a
loaded air rifle into woods in
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, sparked an armed police response.
He has pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded air weapon in a public place.
He claimed he did not know he was breaking the law. He had bought
the weapon in town for £30 planning to use it for target practice in the
woods. He was given a 12 month community order and ordered to pay
costs and complete 100 hours of unpaid work. The weapon will be
destroyed. In May another man was caught carrying an airgun in the
same woodland (see September
2009 Incidents).
This is Bristol,
22 November 2009 *
A man has been charged with
possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence. He
was accused of possessing a shotgun at
his home in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, with intent to cause a
debt collector violence. He has been found guilty of possession of a
firearm with intent to cause fear of violence (see
June 2010 Incidents).
The Argus,
22 November 2009
A man wielding a
realistic-looking metal imitation revolver
was tackled by a customer in a betting shop in Gossops Green,
Crawley in Sussex. The raider demanded money from staff who handed
some over before the customer intervened and eventually chased him down
the road. A suspect was arrested by police nearby.
This is Nottingham,
21 November 2009
A man armed with a
ball-bearing gun terrified a man sitting
at a bus stop in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, and stole his laptop.
The man was with another offender.
This is Grimsby,
21 November 2009 *
Four men have appeared in
court after a shotgun
was allegedly fired in a confrontation inside a house in Grimsby,
Lincolnshire. The men are all accused of aggravated burglary, involving
having a shotgun with them and possessing a firearm with intent to
endanger life. Three men have received lengthy jail sentences (see
May 2010 Incidents).
This is Bristol,
21 November 2009
David Wearing has been given a
suspended prison sentence for not having a firearms certificate for an
antique .22 rifle found at his home in Bristol. He had been visited
by a police officer after ordering a stun gun
from America. He pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing a
firearm without a certificate and one charge of purchasing a prohibited
weapon (the stun gun). He was given an eight month suspended
sentence and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid community work.
The rifle was forfeited and the stun gun forfeited and destroyed.
Press Association,
21 November 2009
A man has died in hospital
after a double shooting at a club in Bilston, West Midlands.
The other victim's injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
Three people were injured in a shooting outside the same club in September
2008 (see Incidents).
Two men have been held on suspicion of murder and one on suspicion of
conspiracy to wound and perverting the course of justice (Teletext,
23 November 2009).
Newham Recorder,
21 November 2009
Four people have been accused
of conspiracy to rob after an incident involving a firearm in Hadleigh,
Essex.
They are charged with conspiracy to rob, possession of an
imitation firearm in a public place,
possession of a prohibited weapon ie a stun gun,
and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable
offence.
Liverpool Echo,
21 November 2009
Jamie Heffey, 17, and a
15-year-old boy who were members of a gang of 12 people which attacked and
shot a man in Croxteth, Liverpool, in June 2009 (see
Incidents) have been
given custodial sentences. Their victim was trying to help the
co-owner of a pub where the gang had been causing trouble. Both pleaded
guilty to conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm. Heffey was sent
to a young offenders' institute for four-and-a-half years, the other
teenager for three-and-a-half years.
Lancashire Telegraph,
21 November 2009
Katherine Jarrett was found
with drugs and a stun gun at her home
in Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire. She has been jailed for four
years and three months after admitting possessing and supplying cocaine
and possessing the stun gun.
Evening Courier,
21 November 2009
A spate of damage to windows
and outside lights has been caused at homes in Rastrick, West
Yorkshire. It is believed the damage has been caused by someone
using an air rifle.
Cambridge News,
21 November 2009
Dwayne Sampson has been jailed
for six years after holding up a bookmakers in Cambridge in
September 2008. Sampson, who had 19 precious convictions, was armed
with an imitation pistol and stole a
money tray containing £246.
Winsford Guardian,
20 November 2009
Windows in the library in
Winsford, Cheshire, have been smashed by
airgun pellets.
West Yorkshire Police,
20 November 2009
Police have recovered a
handgun, drugs and money following a raid on a property in Manningham,
Bradford. Three men, including one teenager, were arrested.
West Yorkshire Police,
20 November 2009
The police found 12 live
shotgun cartridges, a number of air weapons
and other weapons at a house in Halton Moor, Leeds, where they also
found £40,000 of drugs. Four people, including two teenagers, were
arrested.
This is Plymouth,
20 November 2009
Sonny Parsons brandished a
replica gun at staff in a fast food
outlet in St Budeaux, Plymouth and had been jailed for affray in
June. He has now been banned from every takeaway in the city and put
under curfew. The court heard that residents and workers in St
Budeaux needed to be protected as he is unpredictable, especially under
the influence of drugs and alcohol.
This is Nottingham,
20 November 2009
Mark Holroyd has been jailed
after being caught dealing drugs and storing firearms. When police
searched his home in St Ann's, Nottingham, in June 2009 they found
a revolver, a live round and a double barrel
shotgun, broken down for storage. At the time he made
full admissions to the police. In September he was found at his home
with a man who was buying drugs from him. He has been jailed for a
total of five years.
The Sentinel,
20 November 2009
Jamie Bowers pointed an
imitation pistol at the head of a
shopkeeper in Meir Heath, Staffordshire, in July 2007 before
stealing £70. He had been ordered to carry out the robbery to try
and repay a debt to Scott Clegg and Spencer Rushton. Earlier this
year Rushton and Clegg were convicted of robbery and possessing an
imitation firearm with intent to commit an offence and had been given four
year terms. Rushton received a further three months for possessing a
stun gun. Following an appeal their sentences have been increased to
six years and three months for Rushton and five years for Clegg.
Bowers was jailed for 18 months and his sentence was left unchanged.
The Gazette,
20 November 2009
An
imitation firearm was seized during a series of drugs raids by
police in Grange Park, Layton, Blackpool, Ansdell
and St Annes, Lancashire.
Click Lancashire,
20 November 2009
Two men entered a bank in
Fulwood, Preston in Lancashire, with a handgun and threatened staff.
Police are unable to confirm if the firearm was real or
imitation. The men escaped with a
substantial quantity of money.
Chad (Mansfield),
20 November 2009
A man has appeared in court
accused of stealing more than £33,000 worth of goods including
shotguns from a property in
Chesterfield, Derbyshire, in May 2009.
BBC,
20 November 2009
Three men are being questioned
on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after police received reports
a firearm was discharged outside an address in Hollinswood, Telford
in Shropshire. The men have been released pending further inquiries
(Sunday Mercury, 24 November 2009).
The Argus,
20 November 2009 *
Adam Cheal and Adam Hills
drove around the streets of Burgess Hill, West Sussex, in June 2009
with part of a pressure washer sticking out of their car window like a
rifle. Hills forced the car to backfire and pedestrians thought they
were being shot with a drive-by sniper. The two men admitted a
charge of affray by putting people in fear of their personal safety.
Cheal has been sentenced to 51 weeks in a young offenders' institution
suspended for two years and must carry out 150 hours of community service
and abide by a curfew. Hills was given a 40-week jail sentence
suspended for two years and must carry out 80 hours of community service (The
Argus, 17 December 2009).
This is Total Essex,
19 November 2009
Two men brandishing a handgun
and a crowbar raided a pizza restaurant on the outskirts of Braintree,
Essex. The men tied up the staff and held a gun to the manager's
head. She was threatened to make sure she opened the safe.
Seacroft Today,
19 November 2009
Michael Clough brandished a
handgun when he raided his local bookies in Harehills, Leeds.
He escaped with £400 but was arrested at his flat close by. The
police discovered two black handguns, an air
pistol and a gas-powered ball bearing
gun. He admitted robbery and possessing an imitation
handgun and has been jailed for four years.
Muswell Hill Journal,
19 November 2009 *
A man was arrested after a
raider fled from a travel agents in Muswell Hill, north London.
An unarmed police officer grabbed the suspect, and a member of the public
grabbed a gun that had dropped to the ground. During the raid two
female staff had been threatened. A man has been jailed after
admitting the robbery and possession of a firearm (see
February 2010 Incidents).
Liverpool Echo,
19 November 2009 *
Three men are on trial facing
charges of blackmail, false imprisonment, assault, and possession of an
imitation firearm. A businessman is
alleged to have been subjected to a violent ordeal in which he had the
barrel of a gun rammed into his mouth when he was confronted by two men at
his business premises in Bootle, Merseyside. They have been
cleared of all charges (Champion, 9 December 2009).
Get Surrey,
19 November 2009
A 15-year-old from
Whyteleafe, Surrey, shoved an air pistol
in his victim's face when he forced the man to hand over his loose change,
a cigarette lighter and a cigarette. He has been given a 12 month
detention and training order after pleading guilty to robbery and using a
gun in the commission of a crime. The attack, which took place in a
public toilet, was staged to raise cash to pay off a drug debt.
BBC,
19 November 2009
Figures released by the
Metropolitan Police reveal that of 144 women caught with firearms in
London in 2008-09, 88 were cautioned, 47 were charged and five were
handed youth reprimands. The vast majority of the incidents
apparently relate to women who had illegal gas and pepper sprays, which
are classed as firearms.
Welwyn & Hatfield Times,
18 November 2009
Two people were threatened at
gunpoint at a home in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. The weapon was
reported to be an airgun. A man
has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm in a public place.
Telegraph & Argus,
18 November 2009
A gunman threatened a shop
owner during an attempted robbery in Fairweather Green, Bradford.
The man was armed with a handgun, but fled empty-handed when others came
to the owner's assistance.
Oldham Advertiser,
18 November 2009
A pensioner has been left
terrified after an air rifle was fired
at her house in Limeside in Oldham, Lancashire. Her front
room window was hit.
News & Star,
18 November 2009
In April Sean McDonald was
jailed for 10 years and eight months after admitting blackmail, possession
of an imitation firearm and possession
of heroin with intent to supply. He had demanded money from a man in
Whitehaven, Cumbria, and had gone to his victim's home with a gun.
His appeal for a reduced sentence was thrown out.
News & Star,
18 November 2009
Scott Robinson was jailed in
July after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm with a barrel of less
than 30 cm in length. A sawn-off shotgun
was found in the wardrobe of his bedsit in Penrith, Cumbria, when
his landlord took re-possession. He had originally planned to kill
himself with the gun, which he had shortened after taking it from his
uncle's farm. He was sentenced to five years in jail but has failed
to have the sentence cut at the Court of Appeal.
London Daily Press,
18 November 2009
Grant Findley has been jailed
for nine years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to rob and possession
of an imitation firearm with intent.
He carried out a string of armed robberies, mainly in Dorset and
Surrey. His fellow robber was Tony Turner who was jailed in
March 2009 (see Incidents).
BBC,
18 November 2009
Four masked men armed with a
knife, axe and stun gun burst into a
house in Blackley, Manchester. The victims handed over
various items before the men drove off in the family's car.
Yorkshire Post,
17 November 2009
Andrew Semeniuk of Leeds
has admitted handling stolen goods, selling a
12-gauge shotgun and three drugs offences. He and his
brother were both caught following an undercover police operation against
burglars and drugs dealers. Both men were jailed for eight years.
Aiden Fraser, 18, from Scarborough sold an
imitation firearm and told undercover police how to modify it
to fire live ammunition. He has been sent to a young offenders'
institution for eight months (Harrogate Advertiser, 21 November
2009).
Huddersfield Daily
Examiner,
17 November 2009 *
A newsagent fought off an
armed robber at his shop in Lockwood, West Yorkshire. The
robber pointed a gun at him but left empty-handed. A 15-year-old is
currently on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of attempted
robbery. He has admitted robbery and possessing an
imitation firearm with intent to rob (see
March 2010 Incidents).
Huddersfield Daily
Examiner,
17 November 2009 *
A man who injured two people
when he fired a reactivated 9mm Beretta pistol has admitted two offences
of unlawful wounding and possessing the gun and ammunition with intent to
cause fear of violence. Shaun Alexander fired the pistol in
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in December 2008 (see
Incidents) and both
victims were hit by the same shot. He has been told he will face
many years behind bars. One of the victims, a man, has admitted
offences of common assault. The other victim was a woman who had
intervened in a violent clash between the two men. Alexander has
been given an indefinite prison sentence (Huddersfield Daily Examiner,
16 December 2009).
Hemel Today,
17 November 2009
A man held up a bank in
Tring, Hertfordshire, with what was thought to be a
toy gun. He failed to steal any
cash. A man has been charged with attempted robbery and possession
of an imitation firearm (BBC, 18 November 2009).
Hayling Islander,
17 November 2009
Police found a gun, a can of
CS gas and cocaine when they searched the home of Gary Rix in Hayling,
Hampshire. Officers had arrested Rix and another man after watching
them load boxes containing cannabis into the back of a van in Brent Cross,
London. Rix admitted one count of possession of cannabis with intent
to supply, possession of cocaine and two counts of possession of a
firearm. He was jailed for six years.
Hackney Gazette,
17 November 2009
Detectives are investigating
whether a car that was torched in Stamford Hill was used in a drive-by
shooting in Lower Clapton, north east London. Shots had been
fired at a parked car. The two men sitting inside escaped without
injury.
The Gazette,
17 November 2009
A man who barricaded himself
inside his home in Blackpool, Lancashire, in June 2009 was seen
with an air rifle, which was found
later not to work. Martin Grayshon has admitted affray and was
sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and will
be supervised for 18 months.
Echo,
17 November 2009
A security man was threatened with
a gun by robbers who took a cash box believed to contain a number of £10
notes. The robbery occurred outside a building society branch in
Stanford-le-Hope, Essex.
Warrington Guardian,
16 November 2009
A
stun gun was among items seized by police during raids in
Warrington, Cheshire. Nine people were arrested for a variety of
offences including suspicion of supplying and possession of drugs, money
laundering, handling stolen goods and possession of a firearm.
Times,
16 November 2009
It is reported that the man
arrested as part of the hunt for the "Night Stalker" in south London was a
keen air rifle shooter who used glass
bottles for target practice in his garden in Brockley.
Fleetwood Weekly News,
16 November 2009 *
Angus Arthur, 18, was drunk
and high on drugs when he threatened a woman with an
airgun and stole her handbag at a music festival near
Silloth in Cumbria in August 2009 (see
September 2009 Incidents). He
has admitted robbery and possessing a firearm with intent to cause
violence. He has been jailed for five years (News & Star, 2
February 2010).
Evening Gazette,
16 November 2009
David Suggett has admitted
possessing a shotgun without a
licence. The gun was seized from the loft space of a property in
Middlesbrough during a drugs raid in June 2009 (see
Incidents).
Suggett and Fay Oliver also pleaded guilty to drugs offences, but Oliver
denied the shotgun charge and it will lie on her court file.
BBC,
16 November 2009
Two men have stolen cash from
a fast-food outlet in Gravesend, Kent. The robbers were armed
with a small handgun and a knife.
BBC,
16 November 2009
One of three men remanded in
custody following drugs raids by police in West Norfolk has also
been charged with possession of a shotgun
without a licence.
Westmorland Gazette,
14 November 2009
A car has been peppered with
pellets from an air weapon in
Ulverston, Cumbria. Criminal damage has been caused to the car
twice in a couple of weeks.
Sunderland Echo,
14 November 2009
Two
air weapons, believed to be a rifle and a pistol, counterfeit
designer clothing and a quantity of drugs were seized by police in raids
on four addresses in Pennywell and South Hylton, Sunderland.
Two women and a man have been arrested.
The Star,
14 November 2009
A man who triggered a chain of
violent events which led to the fatal shooting of his father in
Pitsmoor, Sheffield, in March 2007 (see
Incidents) has had charges against him of
possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence dropped.
He testified during the trial of his father's convicted killers that he
had taken what he claimed was an imitation gun
to one of their houses hours before.
Liverpool Echo,
14 November 2009
Shaun Meadows buried a Luger
pistol in the back garden of his home in Knowsley, Merseyside.
Police found the weapon together with a magazine and 10 bullets in May
2009. The gun had been used in a shooting in Huyton three
days earlier. He had agreed to mind the weapon and ammunition
because of a drug debt. Meadows, who pleaded guilty to possessing a
prohibited weapon and expanding ammunition, was jailed for five years.
BBC,
14 November 2009
A man is recovering after
being shot in the leg in Rise Park, Nottingham. He was taken
to hospital where his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
The News
(Portsmouth),
13 November 2009
A youth pointed a handgun at
an 11-year-old boy as he went to cross a railway bridge in Southsea,
Hampshire. The boy ran away. Police say it is not yet known
whether it was a real firearm.
Liverpool Echo,
13 November 2009
Two men who held guns for a
drugs gang operating in Kensington, Liverpool, have been jailed.
Graham Johnson received an eight year sentence and a 17-year-old youth a
three year sentence. A Mach 10 machine gun was among the weapons
stored to warn off rivals. Since the gang were arrested there have
been no shooting incidents in Kensington. The gang received
sentences totalling 98 years.
Huddersfield Daily
Examiner,
13 November 2009
A man who shot himself with a
shotgun in his garden in Ainley Top,
West Yorkshire, in August 2009 was suffering from depression and anxiety
an inquest has heard. The coroner concluded that he had taken his
own life.
East Anglian Daily Times,
13 November 2009
Armed robbers held up an
amusement arcade in Walton, Essex, and made off with a large
quantity of coins. The two men armed with a
sawn-off shotgun and pepper spray.
Diss Express,
13 November 2009
William Pierce has been warned
that he faces prison if he breaks his ASBO conditions and continues to
make trouble for his neighbours. He admitted criminal damage and
handling a gas stove and air rifle
stolen from a shed in Harleston, Norfolk. He admitted
threatening behaviour in the town in March 2009 when he threatened to get
a shotgun and shoot people. He
was given 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, as well as a
supervision order for 12 months.
Bedfordshire on Sunday,
13 November 2009 *
A man has been charged with
two counts of having an imitation firearm
with intention to commit crime. The charges relate to an armed
robbery at a petrol station and a bookmakers in Bedford in October
2009. A man has been convicted of attempted robbery and possessing
an imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery (see
July 2010 Incidents).
BBC,
13 November 2009 *
Eight handguns, 200 rounds of
ammunition and thousands of cigarettes were found by customs officials
hidden in a lorry arriving at Dover, Kent. A Lithuanian
national has been charged with attempted smuggling. A man has been
jailed for eight years (see May
2010 Incidents).
BBC,
13 November 2009
Two members of staff at an
office in Gloucester were threatened by two men with a gun.
The raiders stole about £300 in cash.
BBC,
13 November 2009
A man has been charged with
possession of an imitation firearm
after he was spotted by CCTV operators holding what appeared to be a
handgun in a street in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
BBC,
13 November 2009
A man was shot in the leg in a
targeted attack in Tuebrook, Liverpool. Several shots were
fired from what was believed to be a handgun. The victim's injuries
are not thought to be life-threatening.
Uxbridge Gazette,
12 November 2009
Armed robbers are believed to
have threatened one of their victims with a Taser
gun during an incident in which a van was stopped at a bogus
police census point set up near Heathrow Airport, west London.
The van containing electrical components was stolen and later found
abandoned and the goods taken.
This is Surrey Today,
12 November 2009 *
Paul Clarke, a former soldier,
has been found guilty of possessing a firearm. He handed a discarded
sawn-off shotgun to the police in
March 2009. He spotted a black bin liner at the bottom of his garden
in Merstham, Surrey, and found the gun and two cartridges inside.
He took the gun to a police station and was immediately arrested.
The jury was told that his allegedly honest intent was irrelevant,
possession of a firearm is a "strict liability" charge. There is no
defence in law against it. He has been given a one-year prison
sentence, suspended for 12 months (Get Surrey, 18 December 2009).
Roundhay Today,
12 November 2009
Firearms officers swooped on
two men in the centre of Leeds after they were allegedly seen with
a gun by a passer-by. They were arrested on suspicion of being in
possession of an imitation firearm.
Hereford Times,
12 November 2009
A court has heard how a man,
who was killed by being set alight with petrol, kept an arsenal of
weapons, including a machete and gun, for protection at his home in
Bucknell, Herefordshire. Two men are accused of his murder.
Hackney Gazette,
12 November 2009
Police found evidence that a
gun had been fired outside a pub in Hackney, north east London.
Passers-by had heard gunshots.
Hackney Gazette,
12 November 2009
A man brandishing a suspected
imitation firearm chased another man
through the streets of Stamford Hill, north London.
Evening Chronicle,
12 November 2009 *
Jeffrey Wood has been found
guilty of conspiracy to rob and possessing a firearm with intent. He
threatened staff at a shop in Gateshead, Tyneside, in August 2008
(see Incidents) with
a sawn-off shotgun as he demanded the
takings. He was fought off by the shopkeeper who wrestled the weapon
from his hand. Wood fled empty handed. Two other men were found not guilty of conspiracy to rob.
Wood has been jailed indefinitely for public protection (Evening
Chronicle, 6 February 2010).
Daily Mail,
12 November 2009
Giovanni Mercuri brandished a
blank-firing revolver in a nightclub
in Southport, Merseyside, in March 2009. He pleaded guilty to
possession of a firearm which he claimed he had been given for his own
protection. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for
two years and placed on a four month curfew.
Cambs 24,
12 November 2009
A man has been shot and
injured with an air rifle while
walking along a street in Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire. He was
left with a mark on his back after the pellet lodged in his fleece jacket
but did not pierce his skin.
Bury Free Press,
12 November 2009 *
John McFarlane has pleaded
guilty to murdering a woman whom he shot with a bolt gun in Bury St
Edmonds, Suffolk, in May 2009. The victim had called the police
because McFarlane was being a nuisance and stalking her. During the
attack he also injured one of the victim's daughters. He was given a
20-year minimum jail term (BBC, 13 November 2009). The
sentence has been increased to 30 years after the Crown Prosecution
Service appealed (Newmarket Weekly News, 11 March 2010).
Bolton News,
12 November 2009
Guns were seized when police
raided a suspected drugs den in Kearsley, Lancashire. A
sawn-off shotgun and handgun were found
along with other items including drugs. A man and a woman were
arrested.
BBC,
12 November 2009
Two armed raids in south
London are believed to be linked. In the first, four men armed with
a gun demanded cash as a pub in Brixton. In the second, three
men armed with a handgun demanded money at a pub in Clapham.
This is Local London,
11 November 2009
A man was shot in the leg by a
man who stole his motorbike at his home in Kingsbury, north west
London. The victim had advertised the bike for sale and after
viewing it his attacker returned with a gun and shot him.
Peterlee Mail,
11 November 2009
Matthew Kelly, 18, held up a
taxi driver at gunpoint during a robbery in Hartlepool in July 2009
(see Incidents) in
which he stole £36.50. Kelly had been drinking and had been firing a
BB gun at road signs. The pistol
had been brought back from Spain by one of his friends. He admitted
robbery and possessing an imitation firearm. He has been sentenced
to three years in a young offenders' institution.
Norwich Evening News,
11 November 2009
An elderly woman was shot in
the head with an airgun at a car boot
sale at Costessey, Norwich. She sustained heavy bleeding and
was drifting in and out of consciousness until paramedics arrived.
It is believed that a pellet was fired while the gun was being examined by
a buyer. Two men, believed to be a stallholder and a man interested
in buying the weapon, were arrested for assault and bailed.
Herald Express,
11 November 2009 *
Nicholas Tomory has admitted
possessing a prohibited weapon, a pump action, smooth bore
shotgun with a barrel length shorter than
24 inches. The gun was found during a raid on a boat anchored at
Brixham, Devon, in October 2009 (see
Incidents). He has been jailed for
a year. He claimed that he needed it for protection against piracy (BBC,
1 March 2010).
Hemel Today,
11 November 2009
David Biggins was caught in a
police operation targeting drug dealing in pubs with an unlicensed
double-barrelled shotgun and cartridges
in his bedroom in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in March 2009.
He claimed he kept it because he intended to take up clay pigeon shooting.
He has pleaded guilty to supplying a Class A drug and possessing the
shotgun without a certificate and been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
BBC,
11 November 2009
A man was arrested after armed
police surrounded a flat in Ross on Wye, Herefordshire. There
were reports of a man carrying a gun but no weapons were found.
Worksop Guardian,
10 November 2009
Barry Thomas has admitted
affray by way of threatening unlawful violence and possession of a firearm
without a certificate. He threatened a man on private land near
Blyth, Nottinghamshire, whilst in possession of a weapon and the next
day when police went to his home in Harworth they found four
air weapons which needed certificates.
He was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and
ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.
Sunday Sun,
10 November 2009 *
The trial has begun of
a number of people
allegedly involved in an operation in which gas-firing flare guns, alarm
guns, were imported from Germany to the UK and then modified in a factory
in Ancoats, Manchester, to fire live ammunition. A total of
274 of the revolvers and pistols were said to have been smuggled into
England between April 2004 and September 2005. They were brought in
by rucksack couriers and later by post. A man described as one of
the ringleaders denies conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to
endanger life, conspiracy to import prohibited firearms, conspiracy to
manufacture firearms and conspiracy to possess ammunition. A woman
and two men deny assisting an offender and another man denies conspiracy
to manufacture firearms. Two others, David McCulloch and Robert
Tyrer, have pleaded guilty to various firearm offences. Three men
have been convicted (see
January 2010 Incidents).
Streatham Guardian,
10 November 2009
A licensed
shotgun was stolen from outside a
house in Streatham, south London, when its owner left it on his
garden wall whilst he was preparing for a shooting trip and loading his
car. He only realised the gun was missing when he arrived at the
destination of the shoot, seven hours later. The owner now faces
prosecution for breaching his shotgun licence conditions which state while
in transit the owner must take reasonable care of his firearm.
Manchester Evening News,
10 November 2009
A man has been shot four
times, twice in each leg, in a punishment-style attack at a house in
Bury, Greater Manchester. The shots were fired from a 9mm
handgun. Four men have been arrested, one of whom on suspicion of
attempted murder (BBC, 10 November 2009).
Liverpool Echo,
10 November 2009
A gun, thought to be a
semi-automatic, was thrown from a car being followed by the police in
Scarisbrick, Merseyside. Three men have been arrested. One
has appeared in court charged with possession of an illegal firearm (Liverpool
Echo, 11 November 2009).
Birmingham Mail,
10 November 2009
Police who followed a car from
Birmingham and stopped it on the M6 found that the driver, David Edwards,
had a bag containing a gun, a silencer and ammunition. He had been
seen meeting Akbar Bukhari in Small Heath, Birmingham, who had
given him the package. Both men pleaded guilty to possessing a
prohibited weapon, a silencer and ammunition. Bukhari was jailed for
six and a half years, Edwards for six years.
The Argus,
10 November 2009
Two men burgled and attacked
an elderly couple at their home in Hadlow Down, Sussex. They
ransacked the house and stole two shotguns,
two air rifles, together with other
items including the couple's car.
Wigan Evening Post,
9 November 2009
David Travis and Neil
Croysdale who were part of a gang which held up a bank in Wigan,
Lancashire, in June 2009 have been jailed after pleading guilty to robbery
and three counts of possession of a firearm. The men involved were armed with
sawn-off shotguns. One gang
member, who has not been caught, was seen in Standish with a .22
calibre rifle which was later recovered. One of the cars used during
the raid had been stolen in an armed robbery in Atherton, six days
earlier during which a man and a woman were threatened with a
sawn-off shotgun, a knife, a baseball bat
and an axe.
Wigan Evening Post,
9 November 2009
In February 2008 Stuart Brown
was found with a sawn-off double barrel shotgun
hidden in his wardrobe at his parents' home in Wigan, Lancashire,
where he lived. He has been jailed for two years. He claimed
he thought the antique gun was an imitation which he wanted to display on
his bedroom wall.
This is Local London,
9 November 2009
Enfield College in
north London was evacuated and five people, all aged under 18, arrested
after a student was reported to have a gun in the grounds. No
firearm was found and the five were released without charge.
This is Derbyshire,
9 November 2009
A 13-year-old boy has pleaded
guilty to two counts of robbery and one count of theft, witness
intimidation and possession of an imitation firearm with intent. In
May 2009 he pointed a ball-bearing gun
in the face of a man in Derby and demanded cash. In April he
was involved in two robberies in Allenton in which he stole a
mobile phone and a bike from boys and in September he stole a mobile phone
from another boy. He had also threatened to break the legs of one of
his victims. He has been given an eight-month detention and training
order.
The Star,
9 November 2009
A taxi driver has been shot
with an airgun in his cab in
Highfield, Sheffield. He was attacked as he collected a fare.
He was taken to hospital and later discharged. Five men were
arrested and bailed pending further enquiries.
Daily Mail,
9 November 2009
A group of youths, some as
young as six, threatened to shoot the crew an ambulance in Bolton,
Lancashire, with BB guns. The
crew had been called out to help a two-year-old girl with burns.
Another ambulance had had its tyres slashed. A man has been arrested
on suspicion of criminal damage (Metro, 9 November 2009).
Berrow's Worcester
Journal,
9 November 2009
A man armed with an
air rifle and a knife chased youths who
were throwing eggs at passing cars near an estate in Stourport,
Worcestershire. He is believed to have been a car driver who stopped
his vehicle and then gave chase after borrowing a push bike from another
man.
Liverpool Echo,
7 November 2009
Merseyside Police have
reported that eight handguns, five shotguns
and one rifle were taken out of the hands of criminals in Norris Green,
Croxteth and Huyton last month. They also seized 35
9mm rounds, 364 .22 bullets, 349 shotgun cartridges and other potentially
lethal ammunition. The finds were the result of tip-off from the
public. This month a shotgun has
been recovered from under a bed in Huyton and a man was arrested on
suspicion of possessing the gun and criminal damage.
Evening Gazette,
7 November 2009
Darren Russell has been jailed
for five and a half years and his partner Michelle Mason was given a
12-month suspended prison sentence with supervision and 150 hours unpaid
work. During two police raids on their home in Hartlepool in
May and June 2009 police had found drugs and a
stun gun (see May
2009 Incidents). Russell pleaded guilty to drugs offences
and possessing a prohibited weapon.
Evening Gazette,
7 November 2009
Peter Inseal has been jailed
for seven years and nine months after he pleaded guilty to attempted
robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of
violence. He went into a bank in Redcar, Teesside, with a
toy
handgun in October 2009 (see
Incidents) and demanded money before fleeing.
BBC,
7 November 2009 *
Three men were injured in two
separate shooting incidents in Bradford. One man was shot
outside a curry house and two men were injured at a nightclub. The
incidents are not believed to be linked. One of the victims of the
nightclub shooting was discharged from hospital, the other two victims
were in a stable condition. A teenager was arrested in connection
with the shooting at the curry house but released without charge and
eliminated from the inquiry (Telegraph & Argus, 9 November 2009).
A man has been convicted in connection with the nightclub shooting, which
involved a
double-barrelled shotgun, and been sentenced to 13 years in
prison (see March 2010
Incidents).
Teletext,
6 November 2009
Two men entered a taxi firm in
Burnage, Manchester, and one of them
pulled out a gun and demanded cash, threatening to shoot one of the staff.
The victim said he did not have access to any money and the men stole his
mobile.
Huddersfield Daily
Examiner,
6 November 2009
Two men armed with a gun and a
knife escaped with a large sum of money after a raid on a bank in
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. No-one was hurt in the incident.
Express & Star,
6 November 2009 *
Ricardo Davie, 18, and Jason
Purkiss have been found guilty of attempted murder. They shot a man
four times with a .44 revolver and a Second World War Luger at a pub
in Park Village, Wolverhampton in July 2008 (see
Incidents).
They were sentenced to serve at least 13 and 11 years, respectively, in
jail (Express & Star, 3 December 2009).
BBC,
6 November 2009
A
stun gun was among weapons found at the scene of a disturbance
in East Ham, east London. Police found several people
fighting. Thirteen people were arrested.
This is South Devon,
5 November 2009
Matthew Gooderham from
Torquay, Devon, has pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon
and possessing drugs and been given a 12-month community order coupled
with 80 hours unpaid work. The weapon was a
stun gun which he had bought for £3 at a
car boot sale, believing it simply to be a torch. The stun gun did
not work.
Peterborough Evening
Telegraph,
5 November 2009
A pub window in Eye,
Cambridgeshire, has been smashed in an attack which may have involved an
airgun. Other windows locally
had been damaged in a similar way.
The News,
5 November 2009
A
replica AK-47 rifle and a bottle full of ammunition have been
stolen by a thief who broke into a garage in Hayling Island,
Hampshire. The weapon, which is used in airsoft skirmishing, can
fire up to 400 rounds of ball bearings per minute at speeds of up to 250
mph. The owner is reported to have a special licence for the gun.
Liverpool Echo,
5 November 2009
Homes were shot at during
attacks by warring rival gangs in Page Moss, Merseyside. A
police spokesman said it was very fortunate that no-one was injured.
Islington Gazette,
5 November 2009
A shop in Finsbury Park,
north London, was fired at with a shotgun
during the same weekend in which petrol poured through the letterbox and
been set alight. In another incident a café in Holloway was
shot at. Police have since closed this and another cafe where it was
suspected drugs were openly on sale. The incidents are thought
to have been part of an ongoing battle between Kurdish-Turkish gangs in
north London.
Hackney Gazette,
5 November 2009
Two people have been injured
in separate shootings in De Beauvoir, north east London. A
15-year-old boy was shot at a youth club. Two days later a man was
shot in the street and was in a serious condition in hospital. Two
youths, aged 17 and 18, were arrested shortly after the second incident.
Bucks Free Press,
5 November 2009
Donald Stewart-Whyte has been
found guilty of possessing a prohibited weapon. He kept an illegal
firearm at his home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. He was
given a four and half year jail term but because of the lengthy period of
time he spent on remand whilst facing other charges he was allowed to go
free. The weapon was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.
BBC,
5 November 2009
The death of a teenage girl
shot in the eye with an air rifle in
Bury in December 2008 (see
Incidents) was an accident, a coroner has
ruled. The owner of the gun, which was faulty, "didn't have a clue
it was loaded". The victim was shot in the eye after another man had been looking at the gun and it fired a pellet as he put it down.
Three men were cleared of firearms charges in September 2009 (see
Incidents).
Weston & Somerset
Mercury,
4 November 2009
A 13-year-old boy was shot in
the leg with what is believed to have been a BB
gun pellet in Clevedon, Somerset.
Liverpool Echo,
4 November 2009
A man has been left in a
critical condition after being shot in the back in Fazakerley,
Liverpool. He had presented himself for treatment at hospital with
wounds to the back and buttock. In an unrelated incident shots were
fired in a street in Huyton, Merseyside, where a similar incident
had occurred in July 2009 (see
Incidents). A man has been charged with possessing an
illegal firearm and ammunition in connection with the incident in Huyton (BBC,
8 November 2009).
Hereford Times,
4 November 2009
Alec Bowen has pleaded guilty
to two charges of burglary, fraudulently selling stolen items and
possession of ammunition without a certificate. He had twice broken
into a house at Willersley, Herefordshire, and amongst other items
had stolen two decorative musket powder holders, an antique muzzle-loaded
musket and 57 rounds of .22 cartridges. Neighbours had spotted him
after the second raid when they saw him carrying a gun but decided not to
challenge him. He was given a suspended 12-month jail sentence and
ordered to pay £200 compensation for the distress caused to his victim.
BBC,
4 November 2009
Hugh West, who was arrested in
Rusholme, Greater Manchester, in August 2009 (see
Incidents) trying to
sell a loaded gun manufactured to look like a pen, has been jailed for five
years. He pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Worcester News,
3 November 2009
Two men, one dressed as a
pirate and the other wearing a sombrero hat, fought in a pub in
Worcester after one of them broke a toy gun
he believed the other had pointed at him. The first man needed five
stitches in his lip after being punched. However the magistrates
found the toy gun owner not guilty as they could not prove the assault was
intentional or reckless.
This is Grimsby,
3 November 2009
Daniel Harrison has admitted
possessing an air rifle with intent to
cause fear of violence after he pointed the weapon at two men in
Grimsby, Lincolnshire. The gun was loaded. He also
admitted possessing drugs on the same day in June 2009 and a number of
other offences. He has been jailed for 70 weeks.
Southport Visiter,
3 November 2009
A man was shot in the stomach
with an air pistol in the centre of
Southport, Merseyside. He was taken to hospital for treatment
and released a few hours later. Seven men were arrested on suspicion
of wounding.
Southport Visiter,
3 November 2009 *
A man threatened staff at a
bank in Southport, Merseyside, with what is thought to have been a
handgun. He made off with between £2000 and £3000 in cash. A
man was arrested later and a firearm and cash found in his vehicle.
An ex-soldier has admitted holding up the bank, which he had also raided
in 2000. Alan Huggins has pleaded guilty to seven charges of
robbery, possession of an imitation firearm,
theft and false identification. He admitted four other bank jobs in
Merseyside (St Helens), Suffolk (Newmarket, Bury St
Edmonds) and Essex (Clacton-on-Sea). He has been jailed
for 18 years (Southport Visiter, 20 April 2010).
Salisbury Journal,
3 November 2009
An 18-year-old is on trial
charged with possessing an imitation firearm
and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He is
alleged to have shot two other teenagers, one a girl, when they were all
camping near Strangways, Wiltshire, in April 2009. One of his
alleged victims was left with 21 wounds from the incident. The
accused was alleged to have been wearing camouflaged body armour and
started shooting from trees with a replica SA80 assault rifle and then
into a tent where the victims were cowering. Arron Richardson has
been found guilty of two counts of ABH but the jury failed to reach a
verdict on the firearms charge. Richardson had claimed that most of
the group had used the guns and were all shooting at each other, trees and
empty cans and bottles (Salisbury Journal, 10 November 2009).
He was jailed for two and a half years (Salisbury Journal, 30
November 2009).
Newham Recorder,
3 November 2009
Police are appealing for
witnesses to an incident in which a man was shot in a street
in Custom House, east London, in October 2009. He received
wounds to a leg and is in a stable condition.
Liverpool Echo,
3 November 2009
The windows of a house were
shot out in a possible drive-by attack in West Derby, Merseyside.
Daily Echo,
3 November 2009
A couple from Poole,
Dorset, have gone on trial on charges of cruelty towards four children.
The alleged offences occurred in December 2008 and January 2009. The
man is alleged to have fired a BB gun
from the kitchen down the hallway towards a target, although any of the
children could have come downstairs at any time. The jury has been
directed to return a verdict of not guilty on the cruelty charge which
related to the allegations that the partner had fired a BB gun inside the
house (Daily Echo, 5 November 2009).
BBC,
3 November 2009
Two masked men threatened
staff at a store in Bishop's Cleeve, Gloucestershire, with a gun during an armed
robbery. A third man, believed to be armed with a claw hammer and CS
spray, waited outside the door.
BBC,
3 November 2009
A man has died after being
shot in a street in Kennington, south London. He suffered
multiple gunshot wounds and died in hospital. A 19-year-old have
been charged with murder (BBC, 8 November 2009).
Stroud News & Journal,
2 November 2009
Two 14-year-old boys were
arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon after a 13-year-old boy was shot twice with a
BB gun whilst walking in Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire. He suffered minor injuries.
SCOTLAND
BBC,
29 November 2009 *
Two men were recovering from
leg wounds after being shot with a shotgun
during an organised shoot near Dunning, Perthshire. The
police stated that one member of the group accidentally discharged his
gun. A man has been charged under the Firearms Act but has been
cleared of failing to ensure his shotgun was safe. All those
involved were members of a hunting party shooting geese (BBC, 18
May 2010). The two victims have criticised the decision for dropping
the case (Scotsman, 26 May 2010).
Scotsman,
28 November 2009
A man from Invergowrie,
Angus, has appeared in court to face allegations of repeatedly firing a
BB gun at his wife over a period of
three years. He is also alleged to have used a BB gun to shoot two
young children.
BBC,
25 November 2009
Nikolaus Wirsten has been
found guilty of breach of the peace after threatening to buy a gun and
shoot three members of the community council in Selkirk. He
had also sent offensive e-mails. He has been jailed for 16 months.
BBC,
25 November 2009
Two men have escaped with
hundreds of thousands of pounds of cash after an armed raid on a post office
in Uddingston, North Lanarkshire. The men threatened a member
of staff with what appeared to be a gun.
Evening Express,
19 November 2009
A man has denied attacking
another man and threatening him with a gun at a supermarket in Bridge
of Don, Aberdeen, in November 2008. A second man has denied
hiding the gun.
BBC,
19 November 2009
A man threatened staff at a
bookmakers in the Woodside area of Glasgow with what appeared to be
a gun. He escaped with a small quantity of cash. No-one was
injured.
Evening News,
18 November 2009
Jeffrey Baumgardner tried to
take a gas-propelled air pistol and a
flick knife onto a plane from Edinburgh to the USA. Police
were alerted when his suitcase was X-rayed. He has been fined
£1,000.
BBC,
17 November 2009
A gun and ammunition were
discovered by a member of the public in Knightswood, Glasgow.
Police have carried out ballistics tests and have said they believed the
gun had only there been there a short time.
BBC,
16 November 2009
A number of
shotguns and ammunition have been
stolen from a farm in the Newbie area of Annan, Dumfriesshire.
Daily Record,
11 November 2009
Stuart Marsden pointed a gun
at a shopkeeper in Inverness and demanded cash during a robbery in
March 2009. His victim handed over £85 but she recognised her
attacker's voice. The gun was later thrown into a river.
Marsden admitted
assault and robbery and was jailed for two years. The weapon is
reported to have been a black BB gun (Highland
News, 12 November 2009).
BBC,
9 November 2009
A man threatened a member of
staff at a video shop in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. He appeared
to have had a firearm. The man and an accomplice got away with a
three-figure sum of money. Another robbery in Hamilton in
which a member of staff at a pharmacy was threatened by a man with what
appeared to be a firearm is possibly linked. A three-figure sum of
money was also stolen (BBC, 10 November 2009).
Evening News,
6 November 2009
Pensioner Ian Knight
confronted two youths in a street in Blackhall, Edinburgh, with
a replica Winchester rifle in March
2009. The boys had been causing a noise outside his home. He
had bought airsoft rifles for indoor target shooting but they were never
used as he lost sight in one eye. He admitted having a firearm in
his possession. He has been fined £367 and his guns have been
forfeited (BBC, 1 December 2009).
Daily Record,
5 November 2009
A pensioner from Cathkin,
Lanarkshire, shot himself with a shotgun
less than a fortnight after a letter from his council warned him that
a neighbour had complained about his dog's barking. His body had
been found in woods near his home in October 2009.
BBC,
2 November 2009
A man was recovering in
hospital after being shot in the leg in a drive-by shooting in
Uplawmoor, East Renfrewshire. He was found lying in a ditch next
to a golf course and is in a serious but stable condition. Police
are treating the shooting as attempted murder.
WALES
Daily Post,
27 November 2009
A court has heard how a man on
trial for the murder of his ex-lover who was found stabbed in Connah's
Quay, Clwyd, had allegedly previously held a knife to her throat and
had threatened her with an air rifle.
Penarth Times,
26 November 2009
A Weinrach
air rifle was among a number of items
stolen from an outbuilding during a burglary in Penarth, South
Glamorgan.
Milford & West Wales
Mercury,
26 November 2009 *
A man from Milford Haven,
Pembrokeshire, has been charged with possession of an
imitation firearm, an R77 combat
revolver, with intent. He is alleged to have caused a woman to
believe that unlawful violence would be used against another and with
assaulting her. The man is on trial. He is alleged to have
threatened to "sort out" his former partner while loading a gun and denies
possessing an imitation firearm intending to cause fear that violence
would be used and to beating his mother (Western Telegraph, 5 May
2010). He has been convicted and jailed for 18 months (see
May 2010 Incidents).
Daily Post,
17 November 2009
An 18-year-old was hit in the
eye when she was shot with a pellet gun
when she was on a fairground ride in Llan Ffestiniog, Gwynedd.
She feared she would lose her sight and now has blurred vision and
has been told not to do strenuous exercise.
South Wales Argus,
14 November 2009 *
A man from Blackwood,
Gwent, has been charged with possessing explosive materials, an improvised
gun and a terrorist document after being arrested at his home. The
gun was allegedly a muzzle-loading firearm designed to fire lead shot.
He has pleaded guilty to two charges of making explosives and possessing a
firearm (see January 2010
Incidents).
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
The Journal,
28 November 2009 *
Two men who shot and killed
nine kittiwakes by shooting them with an air
rifle on a cliff face have both pleaded guilty to intentional
killing of wild birds. Dane Ord and Paul Reed could be facing a jail
sentence. A third man is not facing charges. The attack took
place at Marsden, Tyne & Wear (Sunderland Echo, 28 November
2009). They have both been sentenced to five weeks in prison (BBC,
18 December 2009).
The Star,
26 November 2009
A swan was found shot dead at
a nature reserve at Beighton Marsh, Sheffield. It was hit by
three airgun pellets.
Dorset Echo,
21 November 2009
A kitten has been shot with an
air rifle on the first day she was let
out of the house in Portland, Dorset. She had to undergo
emergency surgery after being hit by a pellet which just missed her spine.
Hereford Times,
20 November 2009
A cat looks set to lose her
leg after being shot during a suspected airgun
attack in Ledbury, Herefordshire. Bones in her front right
leg have been shattered by a pellet.
Fakenham & Wells Times,
20 November 2009
A cat found beside a road near
RAF Marham, Norfolk, had been shot four times, it is thought with
an air rifle. It may need to
have its eye removed and leg amputated.
Sunderland Echo,
16 November 2009
A cat is fighting for her life
after being shot in the head with an air rifle
in Houghton, County Durham. A pellet has lodged in her throat
and cannot be removed.
Scunthorpe Telegraph,
16 November 2009
A cat was left needing
emergency surgery after being shot with an airgun
pellet which tore through his stomach and bladder. The
attack took place in Riddings, North Lincolnshire, and follows two
shootings at the owner's previous property in Ashby.
The Sentinel,
14 November 2009
A cat is lucky to be alive
after an airgun pellet was left lodged
in his head following an airgun attack in Longton, Cheshire.
His eye had to be stitched closed to prevent further damage.
Express & Star,
13 November 2009
A cat has been shot twice with
a pellet gun, shattering his teeth.
His owner from Walsall, West Midlands, believes he was used for
target practice.
Bristol Evening Post,
13 November 2009
Two cats owned by the same man
in Easton, Bristol, have been the victims of
air rifle attacks within the space of a
few days. One cat returned home with a large puncture wound to one
of his back legs. The second cat is lucky to be alive after she was
shot in the eye. Both cats are now recovering well.
This is Plymouth,
12 November 2009
A kitten has died after being
shot in Plymouth. The pet was shot three times with an
airgun. A neighbour found him
injured near his home but he died whilst being given emergency treatment.
Guardian (Epping
Forest, Waltham Forest, Wanstead & Woodford),
11 November 2009
A cat has been left paralysed
after being shot in the spine with an air rifle
in North Weald, Essex. He was probably shot from fairly close
range as the pellet was quite deep inside.
Get Surrey,
11 November 2009
A cat has been shot at close
range with an airgun in Guildford,
Surrey. She underwent a four hour emergency operation. A
pellet had pierced seven loops of her intestines as well as going through
the abdomen and a kidney before becoming lodged in her rib cage.
Dumfries & Galloway
Standard,
11 November 2009
A cat from Eaglesfield,
Dumfriesshire, has been shot with an airgun
for the second time in two months. Vets have had to remove pellets
from its body on both occasions.
This is Nottingham,
10 November 2009
A cat has had to have a leg
amputated after he was shot with an air rifle
in Carlton, Nottingham. A pellet became embedded in a bone.
Sunderland Echo,
3 November 2009
Two swans have died after
being shot with airgun pellets at
Herrington Country Park in Sunderland. The female, who was
shot through the neck, had to be put to sleep straight away and the male,
who had injuries to his beak and wing, a day after being found.
