ENGLAND
The
Herald
(Plymouth),
30 November 2010 *
Matthew
Peard and Jake Scott have admitted shooting three other people with an
air rifle but insist it was an accident. They said they were
firing at beer cans from a bedroom window in South Brent, Devon.
They admit acting recklessly and pleaded guilty to two counts of assault
causing actual bodily harm in January 2010. The judge has ordered an
investigation by the prosecution into whether the shootings could have
been accidental. Prosecutors have now accepted the shootings were
accidental (The Herald (Plymouth), 23 December 2010). Peard and
Scott have both received 12-month jail sentences, suspended for two
years, and have been ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community
service. They will have to pay £2,200 in compensation and prosecution
costs, £1000 from each man to a 17-year-old girl who has been left with
a .22 lead pellet embedded in her thigh for life (The Herald
(Plymouth), 10 January 2011).
Hackney Gazette,
30 November 2010
A
shotgun was discovered buried in a
children's play area in Haggerston, east London. A metal
detector and sniffer dog were used by police to locate the weapon which
had been broken into three working parts.
Get
Surrey,
30 November 2010
A man
fired a gun into the ceiling of a convenience store in Redhill,
Surrey, before escaping with around £300 cash. Nobody was injured but
the roof and a cigarette machine were damaged.
BBC,
30 November 2010
Staff at
a betting shop in Brighton were threatened with a gun by two men
and forced to hand over cash.
Reading Post,
29 November 2010
Shazad
Manzoor was jailed for six years after being found with heroin and
cocaine at a house in West Reading, Berkshire, where shotgun
cartridges were also found. A charge of possession of a
shotgun was ordered to lie on the
file.
Liverpool Echo,
29 November 2010
A man
pulled a BB gun in a packed pub in
Prescot, Merseyside, during a scuffle over football. A man was
arrested and questioned by police officers.
Birmingham Mail,
29 November 2010
Jonathan
Simpson, 20, accompanied a gunman who opened fire on a man at a takeaway
in Ladywood, Birmingham, in May 2010. He has admitted charges of
possessing a firearm and possessing a firearm with intent. Simpson said
he had been told that a gun would be used to frighten a man who owed a
debt. The weapon was a converted handgun.
Grimsby Telegraph,
27 November 2010
Craig
Roe, 19, one of three men who admitted affray after an incident in
Grimsby, Lincolnshire, also admitted a separate matter of possessing
an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence in August
2010 when he became extremely agitated with a couple and ran out of his
mother's home holding a metal bar and a
ball-bearing handgun. Roe was sentenced to 14 months.
Daily Mirror,
27 November 2010
Samuel
Shaw was jailed for five years after police found an arsenal of weapons
which included two shotguns,
bullets and a stun gun at his
flat in Fenton, Staffordshire. He admitted having no licence for
the guns. He said he bought the weapons at a car boot sale 10 years
ago.
BBC,
27 November 2010
A man
has been shot dead in a car in Finchley, north London. Police
are looking for a motorcyclist and his pillion passenger (BBC, 3
December 2010).
Manchester Evening News,
26 November 2010
Two men
pointed a handgun at a cashier during a raid at a betting shop in
Hulme, Greater Manchester. The men fled with the cash, leaving the
woman shaken but unhurt.
Evening Courier,
26 November 2010
Shaun
Donohue kept a sawn-off shotgun
and live ammunition in the bedroom of his house in Halifax, West
Yorkshire. Police found it after they received an anonymous call. The
gun was described as being ready for use. Donohue pleaded guilty to
possession of a firearm and also faced two counts of theft. He was
sentenced to five years in prison.
Croydon Advertiser,
26 November 2010
Saturday
Hassan has been found guilty of the murder of a man in January 2010 (see
Incidents). The victim died when
eight shots were fired in a pub in Thornton Heath, south London.
Hassan was also found guilty of the attempted murder of the victim's
younger brother and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger
life. He was cleared on another charge of attempted murder. He was
sentenced to a minimum of 37 years in prison.
Crewe and Nantwich Guardian,
26 November 2010
Two men,
one believed to have been armed with a handgun, raided a newsagents in
Nantwich, Cheshire. They stole cash from the till.
BBC,
26 November 2010
Two men
armed with a gun and a knife broke into a fast food restaurant in
Derby, locked up three members of staff and escaped with an
undisclosed amount of cash. Two women and two teenage boys have been
arrested in connection with the robbery (Derby Telegraph, 30
November 2010).
BBC,
26 November 2010
James
Docherty has admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child,
possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition. The gun and
ammunition were discovered when officers were alerted to the abuse and
raided his house in Manchester in 2009. He was jailed for 10
years.
Westmorland Gazette,
25 November 2010
An
air rifle was recovered from a home
in Kendal, Cumbria, after reports of someone in possession of a
firearm. Further inquiries into its ownership and usage are ongoing.
Manchester Evening News,
25 November 2010
A gun
was held to the head of a shop manager during a raid on a store at a
retail park in Heaton Park, Greater Manchester. A few days
earlier two men, armed with a sawn-off
shotgun and a knife burst into a neighbouring DIY store and
stole £475. Police believe the two incidents may be linked.
Manchester Evening News,
25 November 2010 *
Simeon
Henderson has admitted the murder of a shopworker who was killed with a
sub-machine gun in Eccles, Greater Manchester, in July 2009 (see
Incidents). The shooting was one
of three Henderson claims he was asked to carry out by business men with
links to crime. Four other men on trial deny all charges against them
but have been convicted (see
February 2011 Incidents).
Harrow Times,
25 November 2010 *
A man
believed to be a postman was shot in the groin in West Hendon,
north west London. His condition was described as critical. The weapon
was a sawn-off shotgun (Times
Series, 1 February 2011).
BBC,
25 November 2010
A
post-mortem examination has revealed that a man whose body was found in
a disused commercial property in Smethwick, West Midlands, died
from a gunshot wound to the head. It is believed he was shot at the
location.
Shropshire Star,
24 November 2010
Lee
Ashley pulled out a sawn-off shotgun
and shot a drug dealer in Telford, Shropshire, in January 2010
(see
Incidents). He has been found
guilty of attempted murder and faces a "substantial" jail sentence. A
woman was acquitted of attempted murder and wounding with intent.
Evening Post
(Bristol),
24 November 2010
Yahye
Hassan Dualeh has pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm
in a public place using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause
harassment, distress or alarm in respect to abusing three girls in a
park in Bristol and then the police. A policewoman tackled him
despite believing he had a gun. The weapon was found to be a
BB pistol wrapped in a plastic bag.
Dualeh has been given a 12-month community order (Evening Post
(Bristol), 28 February 2011).
BBC,
24 November 2010
John
Oliver has been found guilty of possession of an
imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear and aggravated bodily harm. He was found guilty in his
absence as he absconded on the first day of his trial at Salisbury
Crown Court, and police have asked for help in tracking him down.
Chorley Guardian,
23 November 2010
Two men
armed with a gun and a hammer targeted a property in Adlington,
Lancashire. They threatened the occupiers and stole a quantity of cash.
Bucks Free Press,
23 November 2010
Police
discovered a handgun, knife and handcuffs in a pond in Chesham,
Buckinghamshire. The search was made as part of an investigation into a
burglary.
BBC,
23 November 2010
Two men
were shot outside a tube station, in Clapham, south London. Both
suffered leg wounds which were not believed serious.
BBC,
23 November 2010
Peter
Watts, 19, has admitted kidnapping a motorist in Great Yarmouth,
Norfolk, and possessing an imitation firearm in August 2010. His actions were an elaborate
attempt to get himself shot by armed police. He was sentenced to two
years in a young offenders' institution.
Oxford Mail,
22 November 2010
Tomas
McLaughlin, 18, hid an "extremely realistic"
imitation handgun and a dagger in a field in Banbury,
Oxfordshire. He was spotted stashing the weapons in a sports bag under
a tree in March 2010. He was arrested and bailed but then teamed up
with another teenager to attack a man in the centre of Banbury. Both
men admitted affray. McLaughlin admitted carrying a firearm in public
and having an article with a blade or point and was jailed for a total
of 22 months.
Harrow Times,
22 November 2010
Kirk
Franklin shot a friend in the head after a row on the way to a New Years
Eve Party (see
January 2010 Incidents). The
shooting took place near a car park in Wembley, north west
London. He admitted grievous bodily harm with intent and possessing a
firearm with intent to endanger life, and was sentenced to 11 years. A
second man was acquitted of any involvement.
East
Anglian Daily Times,
22 November 2010
Two
people were struck in the head by airgun
pellets in a street in Lowestoft, Suffolk. A woman was hit on
the side of her head and just over an hour later a teenage man was
struck and had to have the pellet removed in hospital.
Crewe and Nantwich Guardian,
22 November 2010
Thieves
stole a shotgun from a house in
Nantwich, Cheshire. The homeowners were away on holiday at the
time. Ammunition and other items were also taken.
Birmingham Mail,
22 November 2010
A staff
member at a petrol station in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands,
locked himself in a back room after a man threatened him with a
handgun. The offender left the store empty handed.
Croydon Advertiser,
21 November 2010
A
17-year-old was shot in Croydon, south London, and received
serious injuries to his leg. He was rushed to hospital where he was
said to be in a stable condition.
Click Liverpool,
21 November 2010
A man
was shot in the leg after receiving several menacing phone calls
following a house party which turned violent. He went to Stockbridge
Village, Liverpool, to sort things out but was shot. Another man
has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
This
is Gloucestershire,
20 November 2010 *
Nigel
Hawkins pointed a rifle at three passers-by on a street in Stroud,
Gloucestershire, in August 2010. He admitted having a firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence. He has been given a 36-week suspended
jail term and ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work and pay
compensation of £150 to each of his victims. The rifle had been in the
boot of his car which he had gone to after leaving a pub where he was
celebrating his birthday. The victims had left the pub soon afterwards
and he confronted them with the gun (This is Gloucestershire, 23
December 2010). GCN understands that the weapon was an
air rifle and it has been destroyed.
Leicester Mercury,
20 November 2010 *
Andrew
Dilkes was accidentally shot with his own air
rifle when he was out fishing with a friend. The two men had
started shooting at rats and the gun went off accidentally when Smith
put the gun down. He had a pellet lodged next to his spine after the
incident in Bagworth, Leicestershire, in April 2010. He and his
friend James Smith admitted possessing a firearm without a licence.
Both admitted possessing cannabis and Dilkes admitted possessing an
offensive weapon, nunchucks. Both received nine-month jail sentences,
suspended for 18 months. Dilkes held a
shotgun licence and had two shotguns.
The
Herald
(Plymouth),
20 November 2010
Jai
Turner, 18, kept a stun gun in
a safe under his bed in Devonport, Devon. The weapon was not
operational because the battery had been discharged. Turner admitted
possessing an electrical incapacitation device and other offences. He
was put on a three-month home curfew for the weapon offence and 12-month
conditional discharge for the other offences.
BBC,
20 November 2010
A
firearm, suspected drugs and a large quantity of cash were seized from a
flat in Luton, Bedfordshire, where a man fell six storeys when
police approached his flat to arrest him on suspicion of burglary.
BBC,
20 November 2010
A man
was found with an injury to his ankle after reports of disorder and
gunshots outside a pub in Digbeth, Birmingham. Three men were
arrested but released without charge. Two men have been arrested on
suspicion of attempted murder (BBC, 25 November 2010).
Sunderland Echo,
19 November 2010
Darren
Dixon shot himself in the head in a children's play park in Houghton,
County Durham. He had been drinking when police saw him holding an
air pistol to his right temple. It
is not believed that the gun would have been forceful enough to kill.
He pleaded guilty to having a loaded air weapon in a public place
together with ammunition and ordered to complete a 12-month community
order, with 12 months' supervision.
Salisbury Journal,
19 November 2010
Police
raided a house in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, and retrieved a
double-barrelled 12-bore shotgun
and ammunition together with a small quantity of cannabis and drug
paraphernalia.
Runcorn and Widnes World,
19 November 2010
A man
brandishing what looked like a gun threatened a woman at her home in
Runcorn, Cheshire. He demanded her car keys but her husband
intervened and the man eventually fled. The attacker may have suffered
a visible injury to his face or foot as a result of the struggle.
Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette,
19 November 2010
A
pensioner was attacked by a gang of three men brandishing what he
believed to be a small handgun. The victim was in his garage in
South Shields, Tyneside, when the men demanded he hand over
jewellery and cash. He managed to fend off the attackers who fled
empty-handed.
East
Anglian Daily Times,
19 November 2010
Two men
escaped with a day's takings from a shop in Trimley St Mary,
Suffolk, after threatening the staff. One of the men claimed to have a
gun in a bag he was carrying.
Dorset Echo,
19 November 2010
A car
was damaged by pellets from a BB gun
in a pub car park in Portland, Dorset. The owners, who also run
the pub, believe they are being targeted as no other vehicles were
damaged.
Croydon Guardian,
19 November 2010
Four men
entered a store in Croydon, south London, threatened staff and
made out they had a gun. The staff were forced into an office where
they were tied up whilst the men stole cash from the safe and car keys
from their victims. They made off in two stolen cars.
Stroud News & Journal,
18 November 2010
A man
who found a live grenade and a number of gun shells whilst using a metal
detector in a field outside Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, took
them to a police station. Police have advised anyone who finds such
items to leave them where they are.
Solihull News,
18 November 2010
Andre
Bailey threatened an elderly couple who were out for a stroll in a park
in Solihull, West Midlands, in August 2010 (see
Incidents) and tried to snatch the
woman's handbag. He produced a gas-powered
handgun but was arrested after the incident was spotted by a
jogger. He admitted robbery, possession of an imitation firearm and
possession of an offensive weapon and was given an eight-year sentence.
The
Press,
18 November 2010
Ben
Mawhood phoned police and threatened to shoot someone and then pointed a
starting pistol at a girl as he
stood in a street in York. He was tackled by a motorist who
disarmed him. Mawhood was a psychiatric patient who had been drinking
at the time of the incident. A weapons hoard, including another
imitation firearm, was found at his flat. He has been jailed for three
years after pleading guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with
intent to make others fear violence and possessing two knives in public.
Express & Star,
18 November 2010
A man
wielding a shotgun pointed his weapon at a shopkeeper in Whitmore
Reans, Wolverhampton, and forced him to empty the till. A man has
admitted two charges of robbery and two of possession of an
imitation firearm (see
March 2011 Incidents).
Coventry Telegraph,
18 November 2010 *
A trial
has been told how a feud over a woman sparked a high-speed car chase and
gunfight in a Coventry street in December 2009 (see
Incidents). A father and son and
a family friend have all denied a charge of being in possession of a
firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Two brothers,
Jimmy Sheen and John Sheen, have pleaded guilty to the same charge. A
man and a woman were hit with numerous
shotgun pellets fired by the Sheen brothers during the
incident. The three defendants who denied charges were all found not
guilty (Coventry Telegraph, 14 December 2010). The Sheen
brothers were both sentenced to 14 years in prison (Coventry
Telegraph, 20 December 2010).
BBC,
18 November 2010
A man
has been shot in the stomach in Croxteth, Liverpool. The police
were alerted by hospital staff after the victim was brought in for
treatment. He had been shot at point-blank range with a
shotgun and was in a car when a
gunman ran up from behind the vehicle and shot through an open window (Liverpool
Echo, 20 November 2010).
BBC,
18 November 2010
A man
has been charged after police raided a cannabis farm in Wood Green,
north London, and found a loaded pistol.
Yorkshire Evening Post,
17 November 2010
A
pensioner was threatened with a gun by two men who forced their way into
his flat in Beeston, Leeds. He was robbed of his savings and
cash cards.
London Daily News,
17 November 2010
A trial
has heard that a man found dead with head injuries in a flat in
Southwark, south London, in September 2009, had been shot twice in
the head with a .38 revolver, although this was not known until the post
mortem. Lee Townsend, who was the victim's drug dealer, has been found
guilty of murder and will serve a minimum of thirty years. The victim
had lent him money but Townsend demanded more.
Harrow Observer,
17 November 2010
Two men
who held up a family at their home in Harlesden, north west
London, in December 2009 have been jailed. Audi Johnson and Andre Rose
were armed with a handgun and a knife when they threatened the occupants
of the house and gathered up Christmas presents to steal. One of the
family was able to call the police. Johnson was found guilty of
aggravated burglary and assaulting a police officer and jailed for eight
years, Rose admitted the burglary charge and was jailed for five years
and four months.
Shropshire Star,
16 November 2010
A man
was shot with an airgun while
riding his bike in Arlseton, Shropshire. The victim was left
with a cut to his head and was given treatment in hospital.
The
Journal,
16 November 2010
Stephen
Rutter concealed a cache of ammunition, including exploding bullets used
by the military, on an allotment in Linton, Northumberland. More
than 2,300 bullets were found by police in July 2010 following a tip-off
from a member of the public. Rutter has pleaded guilty to four offences
of possession ammunition for firearms without a certificate, one charge
of possessing expanding ammunition and a final offence of possessing
ammunition for a firearm when prohibited for five years.
Dorset Echo,
16 November 2010
A car
driver was stopped by armed police in Weymouth, Dorset. A police
spokesman said that "A suicidal man from Bath was located with a gun and
ammunition and detained under the Mental Health Act".
Croydon Guardian,
16 November 2010
A man
has been charged with 11 counts of robbery, one count of attempted
robbery and possessing a gun. It is alleged he was responsible for a
series of armed robberies on betting shops in south London (Croydon,
Bromley, Southwark and Peckham).
BBC,
16 November 2010
A man
who has been charged with the murder of his father has also been charged
with firearm offences. The remains of a body were found in a garden in
Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.
BBC,
16 November 2010
A woman
was threatened with what she believed to be a gun when a man opened the
door of her car in a car park in Maidenhead, Berkshire. A man
was arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery. He has been charged
with attempted robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm (Maidenhead Advertiser, 19 November
2010).
The
Argus,
16 November 2010
Six men
and one woman were arrested after two gangs clashed in Selsey,
West Sussex. A search of the home of one of the suspects uncovered an
imitation firearm. A 19-year-old
was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause
fear of violence.
Witney Gazette,
15 November 2010
Gary
Cregan admitted two counts of having an unloaded
air weapon in public and six counts
of possessing a knife blade or sharp pointed article in public and was
given a suspended 12-week prison sentence. The offences took place in
Oxford in July 2010.
This
is the West Country,
15 November 2010
An
air weapon was seized by police who
were called to Ilminster, Somerset, following reports of a man
arguing in the streets in possession of a rifle. A man has been asked
to attend a local police station.
Tewkesbury ADMAG,
15 November 2010 *
Stephen
Doran, Craig Flanagan, Paul Lamb and Ian McDermott have all admitted
robbing a security guard during a robbery at a supermarket in
Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in August 2010 (see
Incidents). The Crown did not
proceed with a charge against them of possessing an
imitation firearm. Doran, McDermott
and Flanagan were jailed for nine years each and Lamb for six years (This
is Gloucestershire, 10 December 2010).
Herald Express,
15 November 2010
Jason
Sparkes has been sent to prison for five years for having a
sawn-off shotgun in a hotel wardrobe
in Exeter in August 2008. A second man was acquitted.
Evening Courier,
15 November 2010
Police
officers were called to a house where a teenager wearing a balaclava was
brandishing a BB gun.
Calderdale police has issued a warning about carrying what anything
that looks like a gun. The 16-year-old was given a stern warning and
the gun was destroyed.
Evening Chronicle,
15 November 2010
Gary Ray
spent years buying guns and stashing them in his home in North Seaton,
Northumberland. The weapons were discovered when police raided the flat
in June 2010 (see
Incidents). They found
air weapons and guns in three of the
rooms. The raid took place after he offered a neighbour a gun to take
home to protect herself. He has pleaded guilty to three counts of
possessing an offensive weapon and been given a two-year supervision
order and banned from keeping weapons for two years.
Enfield Independent,
15 November 2010
Four men
have been accused of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger
life within the north London boroughs of Haringey, Enfield
and Barnet, and possession of a firearm when prohibited.
BBC,
15 November 2010
More
than 100 weapons have been seized from passengers arriving at Robin
Hood Airport near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, between May and
October 2010. They were taken from people arriving from Bulgaria, the
Czech Republic, Greece, Spain and Turkey. The weapons included
stun guns and
imitation firearms.
BBC,
15 November 2010
Two men
have been arrested after a gun and thousands of pounds of cash were
found close to three lorry cabs filled with suspected stolen goods
during a police raid at a house and equestrian centre in South
Milford, North Yorkshire.
BBC,
14 November 2010
A man
was found with gunshot wounds to his legs in a street in Huyton,
Merseyside. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. A man
has been charged with wounding and possession of a firearm with intent
to endanger life (BBC, 20 November 2010).
Telegraph & Argus,
13 November 2010
A
coroner has recorded a verdict of unlawful killing into the death of a
man who was shot with a .38 calibre handgun at an office in Little
Horton, Bradford, in October 2001. The victim had been given a
death threat after a road rage incident. The prime suspect is serving a
prison sentence for a similar shooting in New York, USA.
Sunday Mercury,
13 November 2010
Police
sealed off a street in Newtown, Birmingham, after reports of
shots being heard.
Lincolnshire Echo,
13 November 2010
Neil
Burnett was caught with a large stash of drugs and guns when his home in
Saxilby, Lincolnshire, was raided by police. One of the guns was
a sawn-off shotgun. He has been
jailed for seven years after admitting three charges of possession of
drugs and possession of a firearm.
Dorset Echo,
13 November 2010
A
coroner has recorded a verdict of suicide at the inquest into the death
of a man who was found dead at his home in Loders, Dorset. A
shotgun was found by his side. The
day before his partner had refused his request that he move in with her.
BBC,
13 November 2010
Shots
were fired in an incident in the centre of Birmingham. There
were reports of four men arguing and brandishing guns. No-one is
believed to have been injured.
BBC,
13 November 2010
Four
guns and ammunition were stolen in a raid on a house in Laxton,
Northamptonshire. The weapons all have serial numbers and were stored
in a locked cabinet.
Shropshire Star,
12 November 2010
A boy
escaped serious injury after being struck by a pellet believed to have
been fired from a BB gun. The
incident took place in Oswestry, Shropshire.
The
Press,
12 November 2010
Darren
Sholl from York has pleaded guilty to drug offences and
possessing a stun gun. He was
originally arrested on suspicion of being a loan shark but charges
relating to this were dropped. He was jailed for 12 months.
News
Shopper,
12 November 2010
Seven
men have been jailed for the kidnapping of a man who was stopped as he
was driving in Greenwich, south east London, in May 2009. The
car was stopped and the victim was bundled into the back of his own car,
driven to an address where he was tied up and threatened with a knife
and gun. One of the seven, Joshua Adediji, was found guilty of kidnap,
false imprisonment and possession of an
imitation firearm and was jailed for eight years. The other
men either pleaded guilty or were found guilty of kidnap and false
imprisonment and one also pleaded guilty to a drugs charge. They were
sentenced to between five and nine years. An eighth man awaits
sentence.
Manchester Evening News,
12 November 2010
David
Pilkington was thought to be armed with a gun when he raided a
bookmakers in Denton, Greater Manchester, in July 2010 (see
Incidents). He was stopped by a
customer and then arrested. The weapon was in fact a piece of pipe
wrapped in a carrier bag. He had raided the bookmakers earlier that
month and also targeted a post office in Denton twice. He pleaded
guilty to two charges of robbery and two counts of attempted robbery and
was jailed for eight years.
Independent,
12 November 2010
An
inquest jury has ruled that police acted lawfully when they shot dead an
armed man who had pointed an antique handgun at a manager at his
sheltered accommodation in Fernhurst, West Sussex, in May 2009
(see
Incidents). He opened fire on
police officers and one bullet penetrated an officer's protective vest.
The man, described as a gun enthusiast, was left suicidal after being
told he could not look after his sick wife. He had been drinking at the
time of the shooting.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner,
12 November 2010
A
nightclub in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, is under threat of
closure after a man claimed he was robbed at gunpoint. A gold chain was
stolen and the victim suffered a minor arm injury.
Herald Express,
12 November 2010
Anthony
Bodycote from Dawlish Warren, Devon, has admitted one count of
affray after pointing a shotgun
at his daughter's ex-boyfriend to protect her from threats. The gun was
licensed and he confronted the man after a 'sustained period of
harassment'. The judge said that the circumstances of the case were so
exceptional that he would only give him a community order. Bodycote
received a 12-month community order and was told to complete 150 hours
of unpaid work.
The
Guide (Prestwich & Whitefield),
12 November 2010
One of
two men who burst into a shop in Prestwich, Greater Manchester,
pointed a gun at the shopkeeper who was holding his 15-month-old
daughter. He cocked the weapon and demanded cash. The other man was
carrying a meat cleaver. The robbers stole cash and cigarettes.
Gravesend Reporter,
12 November 2010
Richard
Davis, a taxi driver who works in Gravesend, Kent, has had his
licence suspended after police found an
imitation firearm in his cab. He claimed the gun, which was
given to him by an acquaintance, was harmless and had been in the taxi
for about four or five months.
Ellesmere Post Pioneer,
12 November 2010
Armed
raiders threatened staff at a service station in Ellesmere Port,
Cheshire, with a sawn-off shotgun
and a pistol. Security guards were loading cash into at cash point.
The men left after stealing cash.
BBC,
12 November 2010
Janson
MacDonald from Wigan, Greater Manchester, has been jailed for
thirteen years and four months after admitting drugs offences and three
charges of possessing a prohibited weapon, a
stun gun. A second man was also
jailed for drugs offences.
BBC,
12 November 2010 *
Two men
have been charged with attempted robbery and possession of firearms
after a jewellers in Smethwick, West Midlands, was held up. A
man was hit over the head and required treatment. One of the men has
also been charged in connection with an attempted robbery in Palfrey
in October 2010 (see
Incidents). Both men have
admitted attempted robbery and possessing a firearm, and one of them
also admitted another robbery and possessing an imitation firearm (see
February 2011 Incidents).
This
is Lancashire,
11 November 2010 *
A shop
assistant in Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire, was threatened at
gunpoint and repeatedly hit on the head with a pistol during a raid. A
man entered the shop and demanded money but the woman refused to open
the till. The man fled the shop with several hundred pounds in cash. A
man has been charged with the armed robbery (The Citizen, 15
February 2011).
Telegraph & Argus,
11 November 2010
A family
were held up at gun and knifepoint at their home in Bierley,
Bradford. Three men believed to have a
shotgun and knife entered their home. Three men were later
arrested two miles from the scene of the aggravated burglary.
Stratford-upon-Avon Herald,
11 November 2010
A man
investigating the theft of two motocross bikes from his garage in
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, discovered two bikes dumped in a
hedge along with a holdall containing bottles of champagne and an
air pistol.
The
Star,
11 November 2010
A
teenager who terrorised a 16-year-old girl in Ferham, South
Yorkshire, by brandishing an air pistol
and firing it a number times into walls and furniture at her home in an
incident in January 2010 has had his sentence reduced from two years to
eighteen months. Mohammed Azad Naseer had previously admitted
possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
The
Star,
11 November 2010
A
jeweller in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was shot in the face by a
robber armed with a ball bearing gun.
The attacked used an axe to smash his way into display cabinets before
running off with gold chains. The victim sustained minor injuries.
Newark Advertiser,
11 November 2010
Armed
police officers attended an address in Newark, Nottinghamshire,
after reports that a woman had been threatened with a firearm. It is
believed the woman and a friend were having a disagreement and were
asked to move on by a man who went inside a property and allegedly
returned with a firearm which he pointed at her. A suspect was being
questioned and was released without charge (BBC, 11 November
2010).
Manchester Evening News,
11 November 2010
Two men
forced their way into a store in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater
Manchester, and threatened workers with an axe and a
stun gun before making off with a
large amount of cash.
Lincolnshire Echo,
11 November 2010
A
gamekeeper was stopped in Wellingore, Lincolnshire, after reports
that he had made threats to kill to a man in Fulbeck. Police
were seen to remove a large gun from his vehicle. No further action is
being taken as police were satisfied that no offences have been
committed.
Express & Star,
11 November 2010
A man
has been shot dead at a house in Bilston, West Midlands. He was
apparently shot in the head and died at the scene. A gun has been
seized and a man has been charged with murder (Express & Star, 17
November 2010). Three other men have been arrested (BBC, 26
November 2010).
The
Enquirer,
11 November 2010
Two men
with firearms threatened two security guards at a petrol station in
Stanford le Hope, Essex. The robbers escaped with a security box
containing thousands of pounds.
Watford Observer,
10 November 2010
A couple
from Radlett, Hertfordshire, were held at gunpoint by two
burglars who broke into their home. The men were armed with a handgun
and a cosh.
Stourbridge News,
10 November 2010
A man
has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of two men at a nightspot
in Brierley Hill, West Midlands, in January 2010 (see
Incidents). He also denied
possessing a prohibited firearm and possessing a gun with intent to
endanger life. The defendant is alleged to have produced a revolver and
fired a total of four shots at close quarters. The shooting allegedly
followed a request that the defendant remove his baseball cap as
required by the club's dress code (Express & Star, 11 November
2010). He was cleared of the charges (Express & Star, 24
November 2010).
The
Star,
10 November 2010
Two men
aged 17 and 20 were arrested when they sparked a police firearms
operation in Upperthorne, Sheffield. The culprits were carrying
an imitation weapon and were
issued with a formal caution.
Rochdale Online,
10 November 2010
Three
men attempted to hold up a workingmen's club in Middleton,
Greater Manchester. One of the offenders threatened a man with a
handgun and demanded he opened the door to the club. The man kicked the
gun away but was hit with a sledgehammer. The gang failed to get into
the club.
Nottingham Post,
10 November 2010
Amar Ali
and his girlfriend Amana Malik broke into a house in Woodthorpe,
Nottingham, to recover a video and took a chest containing £65,000 of
cash and jewellery. They threatened a woman who lived there with an
imitation gun. Both admitted
aggravated burglary and Ali admitted possession of an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence. Ali was jailed for four years
and Malik for two years and eight months.
Manchester Evening News,
10 November 2010
Armed
police swooped on a car and arrested three men after a chase along a
motorway following reports that one of the occupants was carrying a
gun. The car was stopped near Stockport, Greater Manchester, and
a gun was recovered.
Liverpool Echo,
10 November 2010
Two
firearms warrants were executed by police searching for guns at a home
in Bootle, Merseyside. The raid was conducted with the
Gangmasters Licensing Authority and a man was later arrested on
suspicion of operating as a gangmaster without a license.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner,
10 November 2010
Mohammed
Bashir has been given a 10-year prison sentence after being found guilty
of possessing guns and ammunition. He had admitted possessing heroin
and crack cocaine. Police found a sawn-off
shotgun and an automatic pistol with silencer at a house in
Fixby, West Yorkshire, where he was renting a room.
East
Anglian Daily Times,
10 November 2010
Staff at
a bookmakers in Felixstowe, Suffolk, were threatened by two men
armed with a shotgun. The
robbers escaped with a quantity of cash.
BBC,
10 November 2010
A man
was beaten, tied up and threatened at gunpoint by a gang of robbers at
his home in Little Plumpton, Lancashire. They escaped with his
watch.
The
Star,
9 November 2010
A man
sustained a minor injury to his arm when a
shotgun which was fired through the window of a house in
Totley, Sheffield. He was treated in hospital and released a few
hours later.
Press Association,
9 November 2010 *
A man
has been shot by police after he threatened a woman with a gun at an
address in Copthorne, West Sussex. The man was injured in the
hand and taken to hospital where he was assisting police with their
inquiries. It was reported that a woman had called the police to say
her husband was scaring her and had access to guns. Firearms and
ammunition were found within the house (The Argus, 10 November
2010). He has been charged with possession of an
imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence (BBC,
21 November 2010). He has pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing a
firearm or imitation firearm with intent to case fear of violence (see
February 2011 Incidents).
Manchester Evening News,
9 November 2010
Six men
were arrested on suspicion of possession of firearms after a
sawn-off shotgun and a pistol were
found in three cars in Marland, Greater Manchester. Three of the
men were injured during the arrest. Six men have been charged with
possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life (Manchester
Evening News, 10 November 2010)
Henley Standard,
9 November 2010
A man
went into a post office and stores in Checkendon, Oxfordshire,
and threatened a member of staff with a sawn-off shotgun. He demanded she emptied money from the
safe. A man has been charged with two this and two other robberies and
an attempted robbery and also faces firearm charges (BBC, 30
January 2011).
Evening Standard,
9 November 2010 *
One man
died and a second one was fighting for his life after a suspected
gangland attack. The double shooting occurred as the victims sat in a
car in Islington, north London. The second victim died in
hospital. Detectives are hunting for at least one man who is believed
to have opened fire with a handgun (Evening Standard, 10 November
2010). Three men have been arrested in connection with the double
murder (East London Advertiser, 26 January 2011).
Avon
and Somerset Constabulary,
9 November 2010
A man
and a woman were arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs
and a suspected firearm was recovered at an address in Bristol
during Operation Beacon in which police officers executed nine warrants
in the city.
Liverpool Echo,
8 November 2010
Gunshots
were fired at the door of a house in Garston, Merseyside, where a
man had been assaulted in a brawl. Police have not yet established
whether the shots were fired during the brawl or in an earlier incident.
Hampshire Chronicle,
8 November 2010
Two
teenagers were handed referral orders, one for six months the other for
four months, after shots were fired from an
air rifle in Winchester, Hampshire, in October 2010
(see
Incidents). They were near a
primary school at the time and one pellet struck a man.
Cambridge News,
8 November 2010
A
cyclist was pistol whipped in the face by a man who had blocked his way
in Cambridge. The attacker asked for his bicycle and hit the
victim when he refused. The attacker ran off when the victim called for
help. The weapon was a plastic gun.
Bury
Free Press,
8 November 2010
Darren
Green was found with a loaded air rifle
in a large park in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. He was under the
influence of alcohol at the time. He told police he had been intending
to shoot rabbits but the park keeper said that no-one had ever had
permission to go on the heath to shoot anything. He pleaded guilty to
possessing a loaded air rifle and will be sentenced later.
BBC,
8 November 2010
A
teenager has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act after admitting
threatening to destroy property and possessing items to damage
property. The 17-year-old was apprehended by staff at a high school in
Attleborough, Norfolk. He had a fascination for violence and a
ball bearing gun was found at his
home. The court heard that he had made threats on an internet chatroom
and had spoken to a youth involved in a gun massacre in Germany in 2009.
The
Journal,
7 November 2010
Officers
responding to reports of a man with a gun in a street in Ashington,
Northumberland, found the body of a man who was pronounced dead at the
scene. No-one else was involved in the death. It is thought he had
taken his own life (The Journal, 8 November 2010).
Eastern Daily Press,
7 November 2010 *
Two men
pointed what appeared to be a handgun at staff at a convenience store in
Kessingland, Suffolk, and stole a quantity of cash. Two men have
been arrested. One man has pleaded guilty to robbery (see
January 2011 Incidents).
Liverpool Echo,
6 November 2010
Three
men, two of them teenagers, were arrested after a gang stormed a pizza
parlour in Huyton, Merseyside. The gang were armed with a
shotgun and knife and one worker was
slapped in the face as a gun was fired at a fridge. A 17-year-old was
arrested on suspicion of robbery and possession of a firearm after raids
in Huyton and Woolfall Heath (Liverpool Echo, 10 November 2010).
Huddersfield Daily Examiner,
6 November 2010
An
air weapon or similar was fired at
and broke a lounge window in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
Birmingham Mail,
6 November 2010
A
doorman at nightclub in Birmingham had a gun pointed at his face
during an evening in October 2010 in which another doorman was
attacked. It is not clear whether the two incidents were linked. Four
teenagers have been arrested by police investigating the second attack.
This
is Surrey Today,
5 November 2010
Two
replica machine guns were found in
bushes in Betchworth, Surrey. The police confiscated the weapons
and later destroyed them. Police later revealed that the BB guns had
been left on the pavement following a fancy dress party the previous
night.
Reading Post,
5 November 2010
Two men
pushed their way into a pub in Woolhampton, Berkshire, as it was
closing and demanded money. They threatened a member of staff with a
handgun and stole cash from the safe.
Mercury,
5 November 2010
Nine
arrests have been made for offences including possession of a loaded
air weapon during a police operation
on main routes through Hertfordshire.
Islington Tribune,
5 November 2010
A gang
of children and young teenagers have terrorised a neighbourhood in
Finsbury, central London, vandalising a museum and intimidating
tenants on two estates. Glass balcony panels at the museum were broken
using an airgun.
Herald
(Plymouth),
5 November 2010
Army
cadets in Plymouth have been banned from carrying rifles in
public at a Remembrance festival. They had been ignoring a national
ruling against using child soldiers. A spokesman said that "There is no
need for children to appear in public with weapons. It does upset some
members of the public".
Hackney Gazette,
5 November 2010
A
sawn-off shotgun and two rounds of
ammunition were seized by police and three teenagers were arrested
during a search in a park in Stoke Newington, east London. The
gun and ammunition were found in a bag. Three teenagers have been
charged with possession of a section 5 firearm (Hackney Gazette,
8 November 2010).
Evening Courier,
5 November 2010
Three
men armed with a sledgehammer and what is believed to be a small handgun
robbed two security guards of more than £10,000. The guards were making
a delivery to a bank in Brighouse, West Yorkshire.
This
is Sussex,
4 November 2010
Ian
Roberts has been found guilty of actual bodily harm and possession of a
firearm. He struck an 11-year-old in the backside with a pellet from an
air rifle. The incident occurred
in East Grinstead, West Sussex, in June 2010. It was claimed
that he fired the gun several times on a reckless basis, but not aiming
it at anyone in particular. He was sentenced to a total of 15 months in
prison.
Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News,
4 November 2010
Among a
number of incidents of anti-social behaviour in Widnes, Cheshire,
were drive-by attacks on people with a
paintball gun.
BBC,
4 November 2010
Salim
Razaq, a police officer from Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire, helped
his gangster brother by hiding weapons and intimidating witnesses. He
pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, possessing firearms
and ammunition and misconduct in a public office. When his home was
raided in March 2010 (see
Incidents) a Sten machine gun and
two Uzi machine guns were found hidden under the stairs. Other items
including 228 bullets were seized. In the same case a prisoner, Louis
Bamber, admitted possession of a firearm. Razaq has been jailed for
11-and-a-half years (BBC, 16 November 2010).
Hunts Post,
3 November 2010
Two
teenagers armed with a long-barrelled gun burst into a store in
Hartford, Cambridgeshire, in October 2009 (see
Incidents) and demanded money.
They grabbed more than £1,000 and some tobacco. A 15-year-old was
arrested and has now been convicted of armed robbery and possession of a
firearm. The weapon was an air rifle.
He has been given a three-and-a-half year sentence (Hunts Post,
28 November 2010).
Harrow Observer,
3 November 2010
A man
has been arrested for possession of a firearm, violent disorder and
breach of an ASBO and a teenager has also been arrested for possession
of a firearm after two men were chased and a shot was allegedly fired at
them in Stonebridge, north west London. No gun was recovered.
Eastern Daily Press,
3 November 2010
A cache
of second world war American guns and ammunition was discovered during
the reconstruction of a fire-ravaged pub in Bressingham,
Norfolk. Five Browning pistols and a semi-automatic rifle and
ammunition were found outside the pub wall. They will be inspected by
the National Ballistics Intelligence Service.
Clacton Gazette,
3 November 2010 *
Seven
men have denied their involvement in a number of raids across East
Anglia on guards replenishing cash machines. In one raid in
Brightlingsea, Essex, in February 2009 the men involved were armed
with a taser and an axe and
stole £111,850. In another attack in King's Lynn, Norfolk, in
April 2008 a taser was fired
at a guard. Three of the men have been charged with two counts of
having a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence as well as
other charges. Three of the defendants were arrested after an incident
in Hadleigh, Essex, in November 2009 (see
Incidents). Three men have been
found guilty and two have admitted their involvement in some of the
robberies (see
January 2011 Incidents).
BBC,
3 November 2010
A
BB gun was seized during two raids in
Emmer Green, Berkshire, in which cash and drugs were found.
Three men and a woman were arrested.
Northern Echo,
2 November 2010
Police
have warned gun owners to ensure their firearms are kept secure after
raids at two isolated farmhouses in the space of a week. A .22 rifle,
sound moderator and 450 .22 bullets and three
shotguns were among items taken from
a property in Winston, County Durham. Two
shotguns and a rifle were taken from
a gun cabinet at an unoccupied farmhouse in the Lunedale area of
Teesdale.
Herald
(Plymouth),
2 November 2010
Bradley
Pullen, 16, from Tavistock, Devon, opened fire on a 14-year-old
boy with an air rifle and shot his
victim in the eye in May 2010. The .177 pellet detached the retina and
lodged in the eye socket. "The gun was of limited power but caused
catastrophic injury". Pullen pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily
harm and possessing a firearm at the time of committing an offence. He
has been given an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order (Herald
(Plymouth), 20 November 2010).
BBC,
2 November 2010
Two door
staff at a club in Darlington, County Durham, were injured in an
attack involving what are thought to be
Tasers. The attack left burn marks on the victims. Two men
have been arrested.
BBC,
2 November 2010
Three
men armed with a hammer and what was believed to be a
shotgun threatened staff at a
betting shop in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, before fleeing
empty-handed.
Banbury Cake,
2 November 2010
An
18-year-old man was assaulted in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in an
incident in which a firearm was allegedly discharged. Two 19-year-olds
were arrested, one on suspicion of actual bodily harm and possession of
a firearm.
Grimsby Telegraph,
1 November 2010
Susan
Winterbottom pulled out an air pistol
in a betting shop in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, in July 2010 and
confronted the mother of two girls who had been making her daughter's
life a misery. There were two pellets in the gun barrel. She admitted
possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence
and has been jailed for nine months.
Fulham Chronicle,
1 November 2010
A gun
and ammunition were seized from a vacant property in Fulham, west
London, during a crime prevention day.
Ealing Gazette,
1 November 2010
Two
teenagers who held up a bank in West Ealing, west London, whilst
armed with a Mac10 machine gun in March 2010 have both been jailed after
pleading guilty to robbery and possessing a firearm. Yusuf Yusuf
received a seven year sentence and an unnamed youth was sentenced to
three years. The pair fled empty handed after staff refused to give
into their demands.
SCOTLAND
stv,
30 November 2010
Two shop
assistants managed to grab a gun from a robber during a raid on a shop
in Paisley. The man made off empty-handed.
stv,
23 November 2010
A man
has been found dead at his stables near Rosewell, Midlothian, in
a suspected shotgun suicide.
There are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.
BBC,
23 November 2010 *
Andrew
Gunn armed himself with a stun gun,
pepper spray and an imitation gun
before attacking three former friends in Inverness in August 2010
(see
Incidents). He admitted three
charges of assault and one of possessing unlawful weapons. Sentencing
was deferred. The forfeiture of items including a stun gun and air
pistols has been ordered (BBC, 12 January 2011). He has been
ordered to be detained in a psychiatric hospital for a further eight
weeks (Press and Journal, 23 March 2011).
BBC,
19 November 2010
A man
threatened a female member of staff at a savings bank in Ballieston,
Glasgow. She believed he had a firearm and handed over cash.
BBC,
17 November 2010
Police
are searching gardens in an Edinburgh neighbourhood following a
tip-off that firearms and drugs may be buried there.
BBC,
16 November 2010
A man
was arrested following reports that a man may have a firearm in
Wishaw, North Lanarkshire. He was detained at an address in
Cleland.
Press Association,
15 November 2010
A
cyclist brandishing what appeared to be a gun stole a three-figure sum
from a petrol station in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.
stv,
14 November 2010
A man
who appeared to be carrying a firearm stole a three-figure sum of money
from a bookmakers in Maryhill, Glasgow. Two staff members and a
customer were left "extremely shaken".
Press & Journal,
12 November 2010
A man
who waved a double-barrelled shotgun
above his head in the street in Brechin, Angus, in July 2010 has
pleaded guilty to conducting himself in a disorderly manner and
breaching the peace. Maciej Zdrojewski was drunk at the time and he
claimed it was a 'practical joke'. The gun, which was in a poor
condition, had been bought at a car boot sale and he also admitted being
in possession of the weapon without a shotgun licence. He was fined
£450.
Lennox Herald,
12 November 2010
A man
burst into a store in Levenvale, West Dunbartonshire, armed with
a gun. He struck a member of staff and fled with a small amount of
cash.
Sun,
9 November 2010
A gunman
opened fire on a house in front of two children who were in a playpark
in Paisley. The man shot at the windows of a ground-floor
property three times.
Daily Record,
9 November 2010
Four
firearms, ammunition and CS spray guns were recovered during an
operation codenamed Salute conducted by the Scottish Crime and Drug
Enforcement Agency working with Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders
police and detectives in the Dominican Republic. During the operation
Jason Kane from Greenock, Renfrewshire, was seen receiving a
firearm from James Kane from Dundonald, Ayrshire, in January
2008. The men were among 15 who have been handed jail terms for their
part in a drug-smuggling ring, Jason Kane for four years and James Kane
for six years and four months. Steven Scott was also convicted of
firearms offences as a result of the investigation and was sentenced to
12 months. He was arrested in Glasgow after officers saw him
taking a suspicious package from another man (Daily Record, 10
November 2010).
Sunday Mail,
7 November 2010
Lewis
Rodden has admitted breaching an order banning him from owning any gun
which he received when he was jailed in 2005 for using violence and
intimidation. Police discovered a rifle and ammunition at his home in
Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, in March 2009. The gun had been
bought before his conviction and had been inspected by Strathclyde
Police in 2003.
Clydebank Post,
3 November 2010
Two men
have appeared in court in connection with an incident in Drumry,
Clydebank, for allegedly threatening staff at a newsagents, brandishing
an imitation shotgun and
shoplifting.
Press Association,
2 November 2010
A luxury
car containing shotgun cartridges
has been taken from a business property in the Leith area of
Edinburgh. The car and ammunition have since been recovered (Evening
News, 6 November 2010).
WALES
This
is South Wales,
20 November 2010 *
Kristopher Williams from Baglan, West Glamorgan, has been warned
that he is facing an inevitable prison sentence for a firearms offence.
He pleaded guilty to possessing the "component parts" of a prohibited
weapon, a Kalashnikov assault rifle, in February 2010. The parts had
been obtained from the USA. He also admitted illegally having a
stun gun. The judge, who said
that Williams had "something of a fixation with weapons of this sort",
has indicated that the sentence might be reduced to one year or even a
suspended sentence because Williams bought the gun for ornamental use
and never intended to fire it. He was under the impression that the gun
was not illegal and that it was a "collectors item" (This is South
Wales, 7 February 2011).
This
is South Wales,
20 November 2010
An
inquest heard that a man walked into his garden in Crynant,
Glamorgan, and shot himself dead in May 2010 (see
Incidents). He was found with
fatal head injuries. The man, who was lawfully in possession of two
shotguns, had a minor disagreement
with his wife on the night of his death. The coroner recorded that he
died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while intoxicated with alcohol
and under the effects of prescription medication.
Western Mail,
16 November 2010
Daniel
Thomas fired an air rifle at a
pensioner in Aberfan, South Glamorgan, who was struck in the
right arm by a pellet which punctured the arm, causing swelling and
bruising. Thomas had been drinking at the time of the incident in June
2010. He has admitted unlawful wounding, having an offensive weapon in
public and attempted theft. He was jailed for 12 months.
Daily Post,
13 November 2010
Ali
Akbar Khan from Caernarfon was found to have drugs worth £30,000
at his home and in a lock-up. He admitted possessing drugs with intent
to supply and having a stun gun.
He has been jailed for four years and eight months.
North Wales Weekly News,
11 November 2010
Raymond
McGrady sparked a seven-hour siege after reports he had a gun inside his
home at Llwyn Morfa, Abergele, Clwyd, in June 2010 (see
Incidents). He fired shots from
the property but eventually emerged. He had been drinking at the time.
He has pleaded guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to cause
fear. The gun was a replica Beretta handgun.
He has received a hospital order after evidence showed he had a mental
illness.
South Wales Argus,
9 November 2010
David
Short has admitted keeping a stun gun
and pepper spray at his home in Ringland, Newport, Gwent. He
pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm without a firearm certificate,
possessing ammunition without a firearm certificate, two counts of
possessing a prohibited weapon and one count of possessing cannabis. He
was given a total of six months in jail, suspended for two years, with
160 hours of unpaid work.
This
is South Wales,
4 November 2010
Armed
police responded to reports that a woman had been seen carrying what
appeared to be a gun and an axe close to a primary school in Brynaman,
Carmarthanshire. Police enquiries are ongoing. A firearm, believed to
be an air rifle, was recovered
from a nearby property (South Wales Guardian, 10 November 2010).
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
BBC,
26 November 2010
A dog
has died after being shot with an air weapon
in woodland near Cockermouth, Cumbria. A vet confirmed the dog
had died from injuries caused by a pellet.
Manchester Evening News,
25 November 2010
A cat
suffered a fractured jaw and a seriously injured eye following a
shooting in Walkden, Greater Manchester. She has lost an eye.
She was shot at close range with a pellet gun
and the pellet was found lodged in her skull.
Craven Herald & Pioneer,
25 November 2010
A cat
was shot with an air rifle and
kicked so hard that his pelvis was detached. The attack took place in
Grassington, North Yorkshire. The cat may have been grazed on
the head with an airgun pellet a few weeks earlier.
Sunday Mail,
21 November 2010 *
A man
who was charged in January 2010 with killing two cormorants with a
shotgun on the banks of the River
Tay near Stanley, Perthshire, has lodged a devolution minute
claiming his treatment breached the European human rights laws. He was
cleared when the Crown indicated they would not be seeking a conviction
(Perthshire Advertiser, 28 January 2011).
Walsall Advertiser,
19 November 2010
A young
cat was shot in the right leg with an airgun
in Walsall, West Midlands. The cat was spotted dragging her
backs legs and the RSPCA collected the cat. Her injuries were so severe
that she had to be put to sleep.
Evening Post
(Bristol),
18 November 2010
A kitten
has been targeted with an air rifle
in Stoke Gifford, Bristol. She has had to endure three
operations to sew up the wound, to remove the pellet and to narrow her
intestine which had become infected.
BBC,
17 November 2010
An
osprey has been shot twice with a shotgun
near Caister, Lincolnshire. The RSPB has offered a £1,000 reward
for information in connection with the shooting.
The
Courier,
10 November 2010
A cat
found hiding in a summerhouse in Perth in September was found to
have an airgun pellet behind his
ear. The cat was rescued by the Scottish SPCA.
Daily Mail,
4 November 2010
A cat
has been shot three times in the face and nearly hanged in an attack in
Wakefield, West Yorkshire. There were
air rifle wounds in her neck, ear and
face. She is lucky to be alive and it has already cost the family £1600
in vet's bills. Another cat belonging to the same family had been shot
in the leg two days earlier. The police say they will take the
incidents very seriously.
Grimsby Telegraph,
3 November 2010
A pet
cat has been shot with an air rifle
in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. It will be up to 12 weeks before he
can walk again after being left with a broken front leg.
Bracknell Forest Standard,
1 November 2010
A cat
was seriously injured when he was shot with an
airgun in Bracknell,
Berkshire. He had puncture wounds and severe bruising to his back leg.
BBC,
1 November 2010
A dog
was shot in the head and left lying in deep water in Cardiff.
The animal sustained horrific injuries before dying. The area where is
was found is well known for attracting gun owners for clay-pigeon
shooting and air rifle users (South Wales Echo, 3 November 2010).
BBC,
1 November 2010
A cat
has been shot with an airgun in
Aberbargoed, Caerphilly. It was taken to a vets for "urgent
treatment.
