DECEMBER 2010 - REVIEW

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GUN DEATHS IN 2010

• On the basis of the media reports seen by GCN there were 58 gun homicides in Great Britain in 2010, nearly half of them in London (see below).  The number of deaths was higher than in the previous two years, although this does include the 12 deaths perpetrated by a lone gunman in Cumbria in June.  The case following another fatal shooting collapsed when self-defence could not be ruled out.

• There was a worrying increase in the number of fatal shooting victims in London, 27 compared with 17 in 2009.  The 12 victims in Cumbria were all killed by Derrick Bird.  Four people were shot dead in Scotland and 4 were killed in Merseyside, including one of manslaughter, 3 in the West Midlands, including another manslaughter victim, and there was one fatal shooting in each of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Tyneside and Wales.

• Eight of the victims were female, three killed in the Cumbria shootings.  Two of the victims were apparently shot by their partner, who also killed himself, and two more may also have died in domestic incidents.  The other female victim was a teenager who was hit when shots were apparently fired at a youth in Hackney.  One man was killed with his own shotgun by his wife who then committed suicide by another means.

• One of the fatalities resulted from an armed robbery – the victim died four weeks after being shot at a house on Merseyside in August.

• Eight victims were teenagers.  Seven died in London, the other was shot dead whilst playing with a gun on Merseyside: a friend was convicted of manslaughter.  The majority of the victims were aged between 20 and 40, 19 in their twenties and 16 in their thirties.  Of the 11 victims over 50, 9 died in the Cumbria shootings and one was killed in a domestic incident.

• One man was shot and killed by armed police officers in West Yorkshire: an unarmed officer had been shot and injured before a siege which ended in the fatal shooting.

• GCN was aware of 38 shooting deaths during 2010 that were apparently self-inflicted.  Six of the deaths were of teenagers.  In the majority of incidents a shotgun was used.  In six instances, including the deaths of Derrick Bird and Raoul Moat, the person had also shot at least one other victim, in four cases fatally.

DECEMBER 2010 INCIDENTS

• Gun Deaths and Injuries - There were five fatal shooting incidents reported during December.  Three males died in apparent gun homicides:

  • Cheshire (1) - a man died after being shot in the head in Hale Village

  • London (2) - a man was fatally shot in the chest in Hayes, and a 17-year-old died when he was shot in Peckham (two males are being held and three others have been freed)

• A man died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound in an incident in Old Bridge of Urr (Kirkcudbrightshire) in which another man, his wife's lover, was also shot (see below).

• A man was shot dead by armed police after an 8-hour siege at a house in Kirkheaton (West Yorkshire) - a police officer had earlier been shot and injured (see below).

• In another incident involving armed police a man was shot in the throat in Eltham (south-east London) during a pre-planned raid on a commercial property (5 people including the injured man were arrested).

• Sixteen other victims were shot, five of them with airguns or a BB gun (see below):

  • Devon (1) - a man was shot, apparently with his own shotgun, in an attack in Derriford (Plymouth) - a man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

  • Hertfordshire (1) - a man was shot in the arm during a robbery in Watford

  • London (2) - a man was shot in the leg in Brixton and a woman suffered a foot injury in the same incident

  • Merseyside (3) - a man was shot in the back with a shotgun in Croxteth (two people were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder), another victim was shot in the chest in the Kirkby area (a man was charged with attempted murder), and a third man was shot in both legs in Huyton

  • Nottinghamshire (1) - a man was in a critical condition after being shot in St Ann's (Nottingham)

  • Scotland (1) - a man was shot with a shotgun in an incident in Old Bridge of Urr (Kirkcudbrightshire) in which the perpetrator then apparently killed himself (see above)

  • West Midlands (1) - a teenager was shot in the leg in an incident in a shopping centre in Birmingham, apparently during a confrontation between two groups of youths (a man was arrested and later released on bail).

  • West  Yorkshire (1) - a police officer was shot and received minor injuries during an incident in Kirkheaton in which a man was later shot dead by armed police (see above)

• At least 5 other people were hit by pellets from BB guns or airguns:

  • Dorset (1) - a man was shot in the face with a BB gun in Northbourne (Bournemouth)

  • Leicestershire (1) - an 11-year-old from Hinckley almost lost his sight after being shot with a ball-bearing gun fired by an 8-year-old

  • Merseyside (1) - a man was shot in the head with an air rifle in Kirkdale

  • Somerset (2) - a cyclist was shot in the leg in Yeovil with an air rifle pellet and in another incident in Yeovil a teenager was shot in the back of his knee with an airgun

• Two women were shot with a stun gun during a raid on a massage parlour in Wood Green (north London).

• Armed Hold-Ups and Assaults - There were robberies and attempted robberies allegedly involving guns at Bookmakers (10) in High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire), Walton (Surrey), Havant (Hampshire), Blurton (Staffordshire), King's Lynn (Norfolk), and Hillington, Paisley and Barrhead (Renfrewshire) (two men were being questioned in connection with five raids in Renfrewshire), Food Outlets and a Pub (4) in Wembley (north-west London), Radford (Nottingham) (BB guns; 5 teenagers arrested), Peacehaven (East Sussex) (pistol-shaped weapon), and North Stifford (Essex) (handgun), a Massage Parlour (1) in Wood Green (north London) (stun gun) (two women were shot), Petrol Stations (4) in Southwell (imitation firearm; a man has been charged), Rochdale (handgun; two incidents thought to be linked), and Ruthin (Denbighshire) (handgun) (four people have been arrested in connection with this and another robbery), Post Offices (3) in Hove (East Sussex), Burgess Hill (West Sussex), and Treherbert (Mid Glamorgan) and other Shops (17) in Otford (Surrey), Bath (Somerset) (imitation firearm; a man has been arrested), Cleveleys (Lancashire), Wivelsfield (East Sussex), Canvey (Essex), Lutterworth (Leicestershire) (a security guard was injured), High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire), Wall Heath (West Midlands), Wallasey (Merseyside), Winlaton (Tyneside) (handgun), Welwyn Garden City (Hertfordshire) (handgun), Old Stratford (Northamptonshire) (handgun), Ribbleton (Lancashire) (handgun), Somers Town (Portsmouth) (blank-firing handgun), Prestonpans (East Lothian) (imitation handgun; a man has been arrested), Watford (Hertfordshire) (a man was shot), and Cardiff (pistol)

• Security Men were threatened at gunpoint in incidents in Nottingham and Widnes (handgun).

• Guns were involved in five raids on Houses in Moss Side (Manchester) (handgun), Alphington (Devon) (shotgun), Horsham (West Sussex) (shotgun), Loughton (Essex), and Sebastopol (Gwent) (three people have been arrested).

• Street robberies with guns occurred in Trowbridge (imitation firearm; three men and a youth charged), Battersea (south London), and Liverpool (handgun).

• A Driver who had her car stolen in the centre of Liverpool believes the robber was armed with an imitation firearm. 

• Other Incidents - Shots were fired during two other incidents:

  • West Midlands - there were reports of a shot being fired at a house in Walsall - one man was injured but not from a gun (a man and a woman were arrested)

  • Wiltshire - a road sign near Wilcot has been peppered with shot which may have come from a high powered rifle

• A man was charged with possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress after a 6-hour stand-off in Norwood (Sheffield).

• A taxi driver was threatened with a gun during a disturbance in Haghill (Glasgow).

• A man from Formby (Merseyside) has been accused of conspiracy to possess a machine pistol with intent to endanger life.

• Airguns and Imitation Guns - Besides those incidents in which victims were hit (see above) there were many other incidents involving airguns and imitation weapons.  They were probably used in many of the armed robberies including those in Liverpool, Bath (Somerset), Trowbridge (Wiltshire), Southwell (Nottinghamshire), Radford (Nottingham), Somers Town (Portsmouth) and Prestonpans (East Lothian).

• A woman was arrested for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life after a domestic disturbance in Leeds where an air rifle was recovered.

• Two people were arrested in Crumpsall (Greater Manchester) and an air pistol seized after shots were fired on wasteland in Bury.

• A man arrested after being seen waving a gun in Middlesbrough was found to be in possession of an imitation firearm.

• A man dropped a ball-bearing gun when he was disturbed by police in Whitchurch (Shropshire) - he was disappeared after a car chase to Whixall.

• There were further incidents involving imitation weapons which caused alarm:

  • A man was arrested and an air rifle seized after an incident in Callington, Cornwall, following reports of a man with a firearm who was allegedly going to harm himself

  • A man was spotted with a firearm in Hastings (East Sussex) - two men were later arrested and one was charged with possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and attempted robbery

  • A man arrested in Bath (Somerset) after an armed siege at a flat has been charged with possession of a firearm, an airgun, with intent to cause fear of violence and making threats to kill

• One of four men charged with abduction and serious assault after an incident in Paisley during which the victim was struck with a rifle or similar weapon is alleged to have had unlawful possession of an imitation rifle.

• Damage to the window of a cemetery in Worcester may have been caused by an air weapon.

• Guns Recoveries and Thefts - Guns were found during searches in which drugs were recovered in Wallington (south London) (shotgun; two teenagers have been charged), Shelton Lock (Derby) (BB gun), Rugby (Warwickshire) (sawn-off shotgun), Royston (Hertfordshire) (stun gun; four men were arrested) and Edinburgh (shotgun; a man and a woman were arrested).

• Three men have been charged with possession of firearms after being arrested in Bermondsey (south London).   In Birmingham two men were arrested in the centre of the city on suspicion of possessing a firearm and possessing an offensive weapon, and four men were arrested in Handsworth on suspicion of possessing a firearm after an illegally-converted pistol was seized by police.

• Replica firearms and a replica grenade were discovered at a flat in Southsea (Hampshire where a man had died in a fire.

• Workmen in Normanton (Derby) discovered a bag containing a handgun.

• A taser lost by a Metropolitan Police firearms officer in Vauxhall, London, was later recovered.

• Shotguns were stolen from properties in Cardenen (Fife) and Empingham (Leicestershire).

• Incidents Involving Animals - There were fewer shooting incidents reported this month.  Nevertheless a number of animals were still made to suffer as a result of the misuse of guns.

  • Cats were targeted with airguns in Aberdeenshire, Dorset, Kent, London, Somerset (three cats attacked in Coleford in recent months and one in Bridgwater), West Yorkshire and The Wirral.

  • There are fears that two swans found dead near Beighton (South Yorkshire) may have been victims of an air rifle attack.

• A man was detained after police were called to a location in March (Cambridgeshire) where a group of men were using a shotgun to kill fish.

• Convictions - Three men have been found guilty of murder and attempted murder and a woman has been found guilty of grievous bodily harm after attacks during a family feud in Maidstone (Kent) - the murdered man was hit by a car, the other victim was shot with a shotgun.

• Three men and a woman have been sentenced in connection with a shooting in Pinehurst (Wiltshire) in which a man was injured - one man was convicted of wounding with intent and jailed for 14 years, a teenager who pleaded guilty to the same offence was jailed for 8 years.

• A man who fired a shotgun outside a nightclub in St Neots (Cambridgeshire), hitting one victim in the head, was found guilty of attempted murder and possessing a firearm with intent to commit an offence and jailed for 15 years.

• A man who had already been convicted after the shooting of a female police officer in Bamber Bridge (Lancashire) was found guilty of attempting to murder two men who were shot outside a nightclub in Astley Bridge (Greater Manchester), possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing a firearm and possessing ammunition and was jailed for life with a minimum of 18½ years.

• Forty three members of a drugs and guns gang have been jailed for 268 years - a man who arranged a string of gun deals from jail was convicted of conspiracy to supply drugs, conspiracy to possess prohibited firearms and conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited firearms.

• Two men who robbed a young woman at gunpoint at her home in Grantham (Lincolnshire) have been convicted of robbery and jailed for 9 years.

• Three men responsible for a series of raids on bookmakers in north London admitted conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to carry a firearm or imitation firearm with criminal intent and were jailed for 9, 8 and 6 years.

• A man from Hull who held his elderly neighbour at gunpoint to steal his bank details admitted robbery and false imprisonment and was jailed for 10 years.

• A man who pointed a pistol at police in East Reading (Berkshire) has been convicted for having a firearm with intent to resist arrest and possession of a prohibited weapon. 

• The following were also convicted for possessing firearms:

  • In London a man arrested on his way to a burglary who admitted firearms offences after a pistol and ammunition were discovered in his wardrobe in Chalk Farm was jailed for 5 years.  A man who supplied cocaine was jailed for 8½ years after also pleading guilty to possession of a firearm, a silencer and ammunition with intent to endanger life after the weapon was found in Brentford.  A woman who hid a revolver and ammunition in her bedroom in Hackney was convicted of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition and jailed for 5 years.  A man who tried to hide a loaded handgun in Central London was convicted of possessing a firearm and possessing ammunition found at his home in Wembley.

  • In cases from Merseyside a man found with a shotgun and drugs at his home in Garston has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm without a licence and a number of drugs offences and been jailed for 9 years.  A man who tossed a loaded revolver into gardens in Bootle has been jailed for 5 years after being found guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition.  A man found with a shotgun and a cartridge at his house in St Helens pleaded guilty and was jailed for 5 years.  A woman from Toxteth who minded a pistol used in a gangland murder has been jailed for 5 years. 

  • Two brothers from the West Midlands stored an arsenal of guns including pistols, shotguns, an assault rifle and a sub-machine gun, at their houses and in a garage - they were sentenced to 3 years and 8 months and to 450 days. A man found carrying a loaded semi-automatic pistol and silencer in Bordesley Green (Birmingham) pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing a prohibited weapon contrary to the Firearms Act 1968.

  • A man awaits sentencing for possessing a firearm after an incident in Harlow (Essex). 

  • A 20-year-old who stored a gun for a friend pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and a sawn-off shotgun at his home in Thornton Lodge (West Yorkshire) and was sent to a young offenders' institution for 5 years. 

  • A teenager pleaded guilty to possession of a rifle - he was spotted carrying the weapon in a street in Greenock (Renfrewshire).  A man who was armed with a loaded revolver in a club in Glasgow was jailed for 5 years.

• Other Case - A farmer from Crays Hill (Essex) has had his firearms licence withdrawn because he was 'unfit to be entrusted with a firearm and may present a danger to public safety and peace' - charges against him in relation to the shooting of two men with a shotgun were dropped.

• Stun Guns - A man who booby-trapped his own house in Knighton (Powys) with a home-made device similar to a Taser admitted being in possession of a prohibited weapon.

• A man who imported three stun guns from Thailand has been given a suspended sentence of 12 months in prison and ordered to carry out 60 hours unpaid work.

• A number of other people were convicted of drug offences and possession of a stun gun:

  • One of two men caught carrying drugs on a train at Haymarket (Edinburgh) also admitted having a stun gun - he was given a 32-month sentence

  • A man from Burton Latimer (Northamptonshire) was sentenced to 2½ years for possession of a stun gun, possession of rifle ammunition and drugs offences

  • A man from Scunthorpe (Lincolnshire) found with a stun gun and drugs admitted various drug offences and possessing a prohibited weapon and was given a 6-month suspended jail sentence and a 30-day curfew

  • One of four men jailed after cannabis was seized in Leeds admitted possession of a prohibited weapon, a taser, and was jailed for 5 years and 3 months.

• Airguns and Imitation Guns (Court Cases) - A man from Thetford (Norfolk) was jailed for 30 months for shooting two young boys with an air rifle as they played in a tree - he pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and affray.

• A man who shot his wife in the thigh with an air rifle in Hunstanton (Norfolk) has been committed for sentencing.

• An 11-year-old boy from Leicester shot a school supervisor in the neck with a pellet gun and has pleaded guilty to assault and causing someone to fear violence while in possession of an imitation firearm - he will be electronically tagged for 3 months and will have to meet regularly with the youth offending team.

• A man who sparked a 10-hour siege in Partick (Glasgow) during which grenades and a ball-bearing gun were thrown from a flat has pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife and police officers and admitted breaching the peace.

• The following cases involved the use of airguns or imitation guns to threaten:

  • A man who fired a shot at a neighbour's door in Exmouth (Devon) admitted possessing a firearm with intent when prohibited and affray involving using or threatening unlawful violence towards another

  • A man who was on a community order when he opened fire with a starting pistol in Ramsey (Cambridgeshire) admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and was jailed for 16 months

  • A man from Tunbridge Wells (Kent) has admitted making threats outside a primary school and possessing an unloaded airgun in a public place

  • A man and a woman who threatened a man with an air pistol in Newcastle have both admitted affray and been jailed for 18 months

  • A man who pointed an air weapon at a police officer at a quarry in Marsden (Tyneside) admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and was sentenced to a suspended 6-month prison sentence with 150 hours of unpaid work

  • A man who pointed an imitation firearm at someone in his home in Clitheroe (Lancashire) pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and has been jailed for 8 months

  • A man who pointed an air rifle at youths outside his house in Botcherby (Carlisle) admitted using threatening behaviour and was given a 12-month conditional discharge.

  • A man who produced a replica musket in front of his former girlfriend in Orby (Lincolnshire) has admitted common assault by putting her in fear - he was placed under 18 months' probation supervision and ordered to carry out 80 hours of community punishment.

  • A man involved in a string of incidents in Wealdstone and Harrow (north-west London) including one when he aimed an imitation pistol at the face of a young man has been banned from the centre of Harrow

  • A woman has pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear or violence after she threatened two paramedics in Bath with a revolver - she was placed in the case of the mental health service.

  • A man who pointed a replica gun at a man in the City of London admitted having an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and was given a 2-year community order and a 12-month mental health treatment requirement.

  • A man who waved an air pistol from the window of his flat in York pleaded guilty to affray and possessing an imitation firearm and was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence and will be supervised by probation officers and attend a rehabilitation course.

  • A man found in possession of a samurai sword in Welwyn Garden City (Hertfordshire) pleaded guilty to causing affray, having an offensive weapon and an imitation firearm - he was given a suspended 12-month jail sentence with 200 hours unpaid work.

  • A man who pointed an air pistol at a teenager in a car park in Bridge of Don (Aberdeen) has admitted chasing his victim armed with a gun and has been told he faces jail.

• Two men who went on a rampage in Hull with BB guns and catapults pleaded guilty to four charges of criminal damage and were given suspended 10-week prison sentences, 12-month supervision requirements and 200 hours of unpaid work.

• A man who pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm, possession of a taser gun and drug offences after the weapons and cocaine were found in Leeds has been jailed for 2 years.

• A man who placed an air pistol on a hotel counter in Norwich pleaded guilty to possessing an air weapon in a public place and making a statement suggesting he was a police constable.

• There were a number of convictions for robberies and attempted robberies in which the offender(s) was armed with an imitation firearm.  The incidents occurred:

  • at a Bank in Cromford (Derbyshire) in 1985 (a man was jailed for 10 years after admitting robbery, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possessing an imitation gun)

  • at a Post Office in Lostwithiel (Cornwall) (a man armed with an imitation sawn-off shotgun pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possessing an imitation firearm and was jailed for 13½ year - he had a previous conviction for robberies)

  • at a Service Station in Eastleigh (two men have admitted their roles, one was armed with a BB gun)

  • at a Shop in Eaglescliffe (Teesside) (one of two men pointed a BB gun at the shop owner and both men admitted charges of robbery and possessing an imitation gun and each was jailed for 6 years)

  • at Betting Shops in south Leeds where two men conducted a series of raids (both were found guilty of various charges including having an imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery, one and were jailed for 12 years)

  • in a robbery by a man from Penhill (Wiltshire) in which a neck chain was stolen (he was armed with an imitation firearm and pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, possessing an imitation firearm and other charges relating to another incident)

• A man prohibited from possessing firearms was found with an air weapon under a bed at his home in Wisbech (Cambridgeshire) - he admitted possessing the weapon.

• Two men cautioned for trespassing on land at Upton (Oxfordshire) had poaching equipment including an air rifle.

• A 15-year-old has admitted breaking into sheds in Lincoln and stealing various items including an air rifle.

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