You know how the police always cite 'isolated incident'
- From: "onlyme" <onlyme_sitting@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:23:50 +0100
When discussing any gun crime.....?
Are any of us still buying that bull*** line?
http://www.gun-control-network.org/IN0807.htm
I'll just copy the June, July and August incidents.....to give some idea of
the scale.
I wonder how many incidents there has to be before the police/government
accept that the situation is way beyond 'isolated'.....
August...so far (not counting last few days)
Life Style Extra, 17 August 2007
Craig Dyer, 19, has been given 28 months youth custody after pleading
guilty to possessing an illegal firearm and ammunition. Police had
discovered a converted firearm and 9mm bullets during a search of his flat
in South Norwood, south London, following the murder of a 16-year-old boy in
Streatham in February 2007 (see Incidents).
Kilburn Times, 17 August 2007
A third man has been jailed for the murder of a man who was shot dead in
Willesden in January 2005 (see Incidents). Darren Mathurin was found guilty
of conspiracy to murder. Roberto Parchment and Romain Whyte had previously
been jailed.
BBC, 17 August 2007
A man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to
endanger life after police were called to a pub in Newquay, Cornwall.
Witnesses said a man was pointing a gun through the pub window.
BBC, 17 August 2007
A man was in a stable condition in hospital after being shot near Tulse
Hill station in south London. Police are investigating whether the man was
chased by youths before being shot.
Evening Star, 16 August 2007
Four men were due to be questioned after being found with a firearm in a
street in Ipswich. The men have been released on bail (Evening Star, 17
August 2007).
This is Wiltshire, 15 August 2007
Police are stepping up measures to combat a rising spate of air rifle
attacks on residents and animals in an area of Warminster. A number of
people have complained about being targeted in their own back gardens in
recent weeks.
This is Cheshire, 15 August 2007
A gunman opened fire on a house in Widnes. A bullet tore through a sofa
minutes after a four-year-old boy had been sleeping there. The boy's father
and his two-year-old sister were also asleep in the house. The gunman was
described as being aged between 16 and 20.
ic Surrey, 15 August 2007
Jephat Sango, 19, has pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an
imitation firearm and sentenced to concurrent sentences of four years and
four and half years detention at a young offenders' institution. In March
2007 he had threatened a woman with a replica ball-bearing gun in a street
in Croydon and demanded that she hand over money.
Citizen (Burnley), 15 August 2007
Michael Redmond from Burnley, who pointed a ball-bearing gun at a man at
his ex-girlfriend's house, has been given a one year jail sentence,
suspended for two years, with 12 months supervision and the Think First
programme. He had admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear of violence. Although Redmond's defence described the weapon as
a "glorified toy gun" the judge said that the victim did not know this.
Nottingham Evening Post, 14 August 2007
Two masked men were being hunted after terrifying a family in their home
in Ilkeston. The men were armed with a starting pistol and a machete and
during the raid the gun was fired and one family member was hit on the back
with the machete.
BBC, 14 August 2007
A man was arrested after police officers used a stun gun to disarm him.
He was armed with an air rifle and a knife and was refusing to leave his
flat in Blandford, Dorset.
Nottingham Evening Post, 13 August 2007
Police are investigating reports that a gun was fired at a house in
Lenton. A window was shattered following what police described as an
"ongoing feud". No one was injured.
Luton Today, 13 August 2007
A woman council worker was hit by a missile fired from a ball bearing gun
by a gang of youths as she was working at a recreation ground in Luton. She
was shocked by the attack but not injured.
Grimsby Telegraph, 13 August 2007
Nineteen-year-old David Riley fired a ball bearing gun while at work in a
factory in Louth. He has been given a four month prison term, suspended for
12 months. He had pointed the gun at three workmates and one pellet was
fired which ricocheted and struck one of them on the hand. Riley was placed
under an 18-month supervision order, told to carry out 40 hours' unpaid work
and ordered to pay £100 compensation to his workmate.
BBC, 13 August 2007
A motorcyclist was shot dead as he was travelling on the southbound
carriageway of the M40 near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Police have said
that biker gangs are a "strong line of inquiry" and they wish to trace the
occupants of a green Rover 620 seen nearby.
BBC, 12 August 2007
Two men have been arrested over a double shooting in Chorlton-on-Medlock,
Manchester, in which two other men received gunshot wounds. One of the
victims was shot in the torso and arm, the other in the neck. Both are
recovering in hospital.
BBC, 12 August 2007
A 21-year-old woman has been charged with firearms and drugs offences
after police found a handgun and accessories when her car was pulled over as
part of routine stop-checks in the Fulwood area of Preston.
BBC, 12 August 2007
A 20-year-old man has been shot dead on a busy street in Wavertree,
Liverpool. He was walking back to a friend's house when then shooting
occurred.
Wear Valley Mercury, 11 August 2007
Airgun slugs were found after 12 windows of the clubhouse of Hunwick
Cricket Club, County Durham, were smashed. Windows had also been broken in
May.
Southern Daily Echo, 10 August 2007
Ian Smith left a trail of panic in his wake when he went on the rampage in
Lyndhurst, Hampshire. Whilst high on a mix of medication and alcohol he
first raided an off licence in the town where he loaded an air pistol and
pointed it at the shop assistant. Smith grabbed a fistful of notes from the
till and filled a bin liner with cigarettes. He fired the gun, smashing
something at the back of the shop. Minutes later he entered a restaurant
and then a pub where a customer took the gun off him. After that he went to
a supermarket in Calmore and pretended to be armed and swung a bottle at the
manager. He pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery and possessing an
imitation firearm for robbery and putting people in fear of violence. He
has been jailed indefinitely.
Nottingham Evening Post, 10 August 2007
An 18-year-old man in on trial accused of pulling a sawn-off shotgun on
three people in Clifton in November 2006. He denies possession of a firearm
with intent.
Birmingham Mail, 10 August 2007
Reis Kelly of Chelmsley Wood was given a six-month community order for
having a loaded air rifle in a public place and possession of cannabis.
BBC, 10 August 2007
A Baikal SL handgun and ammunition were recovered by police in an alleyway
in Ardwick, Manchester. They were discovered after officers patrolling the
area noticed two men crouching in the grounds of a school who both fled when
they realised they had been spotted. An 18-year-old has been arrested on
suspicion of possession of a firearm.
BBC, 10 August 2007
A 20-year-old man has been charged with possessing an imitation firearm
with intent to cause fear of violence. The offence is believed to be linked
the murder of a man in Huyton, Merseyside.
ic South London, 9 August 2007
A teenager has been arrested with a massive arsenal of weapons in
Bermondsey. He was caught with eight stun guns, more than 20 CS gas
cannisters and a handgun. Police fear he was supplying gangs.
ic Coventry, 9 August 2007
Two men arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause
fear of violence were released without charge. The arrests followed reports
that someone had a gun or had been threatened with a gun in a street in
Hillfields. No weapons were recovered.
BBC, 8 August 2007
A nine-year-old boy was taken to hospital with a serious eye injury after
an incident in Chesterfield when he was hit in the face with a pellet fired
from a BB gun. Derbyshire Police warned young people not to carry BB guns
and encouraged traders to sign up to the Gunsafe initiative and withdraw BB
guns from sale.
BBC, 8 August 2007
A 16-year-old girl was shot in the leg while walking along a street in
Maidenhead, Berkshire. An unknown attacker had fired an air rifle. She was
taken to hospital as a precaution.
ic Coventry, 7 August 2007
A youth has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence for allegedly threatening a woman in
Bedworth town centre. She claims the teenager made verbal threats to her
and also believed she had seen him with a handgun. An air rifle was
recovered which is not believed to be linked to the incident.
Express & Star, 7 August 2007
A boy aged 10 shot at two schoolgirls with a ball bearing gun as they
walked close to a play area in Heath Hayes, Staffordshire. One of the girls
was hit on the arm.
Bolton News, 7 August 2007
Two men have been jailed for a total of 19 years after a raid at Atherton
railway station in December 2006. They escaped with more than £2000 after
threatening a cashier with a fake handgun. Paul Anthony Benson pleaded
guilty to robbery, possession of a firearm and three burglaries and received
11 years in total. Shane Francis Scally was jailed for 8 years after
pleading guilty to robbery.
Evening Star, 6 August 2007
A man has been found dead on farmland off the road linking Bruisyard and
Peasenhall in Suffolk. A shotgun was recovered from the scene. It is
believed he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police are not treating
the death as suspicious.
BBC, 6 August 2007
One arrest was made after reports of a man with a gun in Bridgwater,
Somerset. Council CCTV operators had raised the alarm. The man was
released on police bail.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary, 4 August 2007
Police arrested a man on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm
after an incident in Bristol. There were reports that a shot had been
discharged towards the ground resulting in one person sustaining a minor
injury from debris.
AOL News, 4 August 2007
A teenager, believed to be aged 18 or 19, has become the latest victim of
a fatal shooting in south London. Police found him near Brixton underground
station after they were called to reports of shots being fired. A man on a
motorcycle had ridden up to a group of 11 or 12 youths and spoke to them
before pulling out a gun and shooting at them (BBC, 4 August 2007). A
teenager is due to face court charged with murder (Press Association, 11
August 2007).
Telegraph, 3 August 2007
Colin Gunn, described as one of the country's most feared and dangerous
criminals, has been jailed for life following an unprecedented undercover
police operation. Gunn ran a Nottingham-based gang with his brother David.
He was behind the murders of a couple at their home in Trusthorpe,
Lincolnshire, in August 2004 (see Incidents) and was linked to the murder of
jeweller Marion Bates in Arnold, Nottingham, in September 2003 (see
Incidents). He had been connected to at least six murders and 50 shootings.
He was serving a minimum of 35 years for masterminding the Trusthorpe
murders and has now been sentenced to another nine years for his role in
police corruption. An order banning his identification was lifted.
Sidmouth Herald, 3 August 2007
A seven-year-old boy from Sidford, Devon, narrowly escaped serious injury
after being shot just below the eye by a BB gun. Police are keen to track
two youths following the attack. The attack occurred a week after police
warnings over BB guns following the seizure of three weapons from Swedish
students in Sidmouth.
Lancashire Evening Post, 3 August 2007
Abdul Ibrahim, 16, and a 14-year-old boy have been sentenced to five years
and two years and eight months in custody, respectively, for their part in
an attack in which a teenager was almost beaten to death in a park in
Preston in February 2007 (see Incidents). The victim was attacked in a
robbery by the pair who were armed with a cosh-type weapon and a
ball-bearing gun which they fired at the victim's friends.
ic Berkshire, 3 August 2007
Zafram Saleem, 19, has had an appeal against criminal conviction turned
down. He was one of four people convicted of causing grievous bodily harm
with intent following an attack in a park in Maidenhead in February 2005
which involved a Stanley knife and an airgun. Saleem had captured the
attack on mobile phone and was sentenced to two years in jail,
Life Style Extra, 2 August 2007
Christopher Toussant-Collins, 19, has been found guilty of being one of a
gang of armed men who lay in wait outside a man's home in Wembley, north
London, in July 2006 (see Incidents). The victim was shot as he was about
to take his two children to school and died of his injuries.
Toussant-Collins has been warned that he would be sent to jail for life.
Kent News, 2 August 2007
After a boy was shot in the leg with an air rifle as he walked by the
River Medway in Tovil two youngsters were arrested, one (aged 15) for
assault and possession of a firearm with intent to cause injury. The shot
was one of three fired by one of a gang of five youths who took aim at a
group on the opposite bank of the river.
This is Grimsby, 1 August 2007
A man is unable to see out of one eye after being shot in the head with an
air rifle or pellet gun. He was leaving a house in Cleethorpes when a shot
was fired by someone in a car. Doctors currently cannot tell how much
long-term damage has been done.
Hunts Post, 1 August 2007
A man in St Neots seen walking along with a silver gun down his trousers,
pulled the gun out, alarming passers-by, before heading off into a nearby
flat. He was later arrested for possession of a BB gun in a public place.
BBC, 1 August 2007
A dog has died after being shot when three masked gunmen opened fire at a
house in Salford, Greater Manchester. The dog was behind the door at the
time. He had to be put down after he was found to be too badly injured.
Nobody inside the house was injured.
BBC, 1 August 2007
Police arrested a man on suspicion of firearms offences and false
imprisonment after a number of people were taken hostage at a hostel in
Sittingbourne, Kent. There was a stand-off which lasted more than seven
hours overnight. The man was armed with an imitation firearm.
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SCOTLAND
ic Renfrewshire, 15 August 2007
Two women players at Elderslie golf club had to run for cover when two
boys, aged between 10 and 13, took pot shots at them with a high-powered air
rifle. The gun was fired at least twice. Other golfers who chased the boys
were attacked with bricks and stones. The area was searched by police but
the culprits were not found.
BBC, 8 August 2007
Two 15-year-old boys suffered minor injuries when they were shot with an
airgun in a park in Dundee. The police think the weapon may have been fired
from a nearby window and said that the outcome could have been "much more
serious".
Herald, 6 August 2007
An 18-year-old, who was shot a close range as he left a 21st birthday
party at a club in Paisley, died in hospital shortly after the shooting.
Another victim has been left fighting for his life. Three shots were heard
and residents saw a saloon car speed away from the scene.
ic Renfrewshire, 3 August 2007
A gunman opened fire in a busy pub in Paisley. The police know the
identity of the man who has apparently gone into hiding. A single shot was
fired from a pistol during a bar brawl.
Arran Banner, 3 August 2007
A 9-year-old boy has lost part of a front tooth after being shot in the
face with a plastic pellet from a ball-bearing gun. The boy, who was on
holiday, was playing with other children at a caravan park on Arran where
they were shooting at each other with toy guns. The guns were on sale in a
shop in Bro*** for £3.99 but had a sticker saying over 18s only. They have
now been removed from the shelves.
BBC, 1 August 2007
Paul Pitcairn, 21, shot a 13-year-old schoolgirl in the leg while he was
high on drink and drugs in August 2006. He had chased the girl down the
street in Blackford, Perthshire, before pinning her against a fence and
shooting her with a ball-bearing gun. The victim had bruising on her leg
which was painful for a time. Pitcairn was jailed for 100 days.
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WALES
News Wales, 6 August 2007
A man armed with a knife and a handgun took money from the till of a shop
in Port Talbot. He made off with an accomplice on a motorcycle.
Evening Post (Swansea), 4 August 2007
An unnamed 16-year-old girl from Neath has been given with an Asbo for
terrorising neighbours, shooting at youngsters with a ball-bearing gun and
various other offences. Breaching the order could result in five years'
detention.
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INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
BBC, 17 August 2007
A female swan was killed with an airgun at Doune Ponds Nature Reserve,
Perthshire. The bird had been shot once in the head and was discovered
beside the water by walkers. The shooting must have happened within view of
the swan's mate.
The Argus, 14 August 2007
A cat has been shot dead in Hastings, East Sussex. Two men seen playing
with an air rifle are believed to be responsible.
Chester & District Standard, 10 August 2007
A cat has been left paralysed after an airgun pellet pierced her spine.
The cat was found in Blacon, Chester, by a member of the public. An RSPCA
called to the scene said that she has a slim chance of survival.
BBC, 9 August 2007
Police have appealed for information after a young cat was shot with an
airgun in Tarves, Aberdeenshire. The pet was left with a pellet close to
his spine.
Louth Leader, 8 August 2007
Police believe thugs may have been firing BB guns at cygnets at a boating
lake in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire. One cygnet was found dead and three
others have disappeared.
BBC, 2 August 2007
Two cygnets have been killed on a golf course in Telford by someone with
an airgun. The birds had been shot in the head in separate incidents which
RSPCA officials believe were instances of "target practice".
Mid Sussex Times, 1 August 2007
An air rifle pellet fired at a pet cat in Cuckfield narrowly missed his
eye. The pellet lodged in his face and was removed by a vet with no lasting
damage.
Cambs24, 1 August 2007
A pet cat has been attacked with an air rifle in Hall Weston,
Cambridgeshire. Vets discovered he had been shot after the cat was howling
whenever he went to get up.
Bolton News, 1 August 2007
RSPCA chiefs in Bolton urged cat owners to be on their guard after a cat
was hit in the leg by a pellet from an airgun, the third cat to be shot in
the space of two weeks.
July
BBC, 31 July 2007
A man hit in the leg in Blackley was the fifth person to be shot in a
five day period in Manchester.
Somerset County Gazette, 30 July 2007
Following two armed robberies in Minehead and Weston-super-Mare a man
has appeared before magistrates charged with six counts of robbery, six of
possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and two
counts of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of
violence and threats to kill.
Manchester Evening News, 30 July 2007
A 16-year-old suffered a grazed leg when he was shot in Moss Side, a
week after a 14-year-old was hit in the arm after two gunmen on bicycles
shot into a house in the same area of Manchester. A man was shot in the hip
while walking in the street in South Manchester.
BBC, 29 July 2007
Two men were arrested after shots were fired at a plain-clothes police
patrol at a recreation ground in Neasden, north west London. The officers
were chasing a man when he turned and fired a number of shots at them.
Hartlepool Mail, 28 July 2007
An air rifle pellet lodged in a girl's finger when she was shot as she
played with friends in woods near Wingate. The 15-year-old was walking her
dog, and the group heard the "click" of an air rifle being discharged. She
was taken to hospital and the pellet was removed and her broken finger
strapped.
BBC, 28 July 2007
A man has been killed and two others, including a teenager, have been
injured in two shooting incidents in Manchester. A man died in hospital
after police were called to a drive-by shooting in Chorlton-on-Medlock.
Another man admitted himself to hospital with gunshot wounds. The victims
were drinking with more than 100 other friends of a man who was killed in a
drive-by shooting in Manchester last month (see Incidents) (Guardian, 30
July 2007). A 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital after another shooting
near Hulme Park. Police are not saying if the shootings are linked or not.
Evening Telegraph (Peterborough), 27 July 2007
Police scrambled a helicopter after reports of a gang of people
brandishing a gun in a field in Peterborough. Armed police found a man
shooting at cans with two teenage boys and a young boy. They had air rifles
but should not have been on the land. The group were sent on their way with
a strong warning about being more careful when using air rifles.
Eastern Daily Press, 27 July 2007
A woman was arrested by armed police and held overnight after complaints
she had threatened a group of children with an airgun. She was arrested on
suspicion of a firearms offence at her home in Feltwell, Norfolk. She was
released after accepting a police caution.
BBC, 27 July 2007
Shaun Brown will serve a minimum of 12 years in jail after he left
another man paralysed from the neck down after shooting him at close range
on the Stonebridge estate, north west London, in June 2006. It was
suggested that the motive may have been revenge for the fatal shooting in
Harlesden of his cousin.
ic South London, 26 July 2007
A man armed with an air weapon has been taking random potshots at
pedestrians in Streatham High Road and nearby streets. Men and women were
targeted over a four day period.
Bexley Times, 26 July 2007
A stash of firearms was pulled from the River Cray in Crayford by
police. There were about 20 weapons, including shotguns and rifles such as
AK47s. The decommissioned guns had been stolen from a locked van belonging
to organisers of the War and Peace show held at a farm at Paddock Wood the
previous day. The owners have been given crime prevention advice by the
police.
BBC, 26 July 2007
Marvin Wallace has been jailed for five years after a "lethal" arsenal
of weapons was found under a toddler's bed during a raid on a flat in
Elephant and Castle, south London, in October 2005 (see Incidents). Police
found a sawn-off shotgun, four handguns, a silencer and 97 rounds of
ammunition. Wallace was found guilty of possessing the shotgun but cleared
of any connection with the other weaponry.
BBC, 26 July 2007
A 16-year-old was shot dead after being chased by youths on bicycles in
the latest fatal shooting in south London. Police were called to reports of
shots in Stockwell and found the teenager. He was pronounced dead at the
scene. A man has been charged with murder (Press Association, 28 July
2007).
This is Cheshire, 25 July 2007
An 18-year-old has been fined £500 and two 17-year-olds given six month
referral orders for their part in a drive-by-style shooting with an air
rifle. The three-strong gang, two boys and a girl, shot at three cyclists
in Runcorn in April 2007. One of the cyclists was shot in the back of the
head, and the other two were hit in the knee and chest respectively. All
three offenders pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and possession of
an imitation firearm with intent.
Newbury Today, 25 July 2007
A man held up a postmistress in Newbury at gunpoint and ordered her to
hand over bundles of cash.
Evening Chronicle (Newcastle), 25 July 2007
James Hearons has been jailed for four years after police found a
shotgun hidden inside a wardrobe in his home in Walker. He admitted
possessing the weapon while prohibited, possessing ammunition and possession
without a firearm certificate.
Evening Chronicle (Newcastle), 25 July 2007
Kirsty Laing pleaded guilty to possessing a self loading shotgun. The
charge of possessing the small bore 12 gauge gun carries a mandatory minimum
five year jail term. Sentencing was adjourned for probation and psychiatric
reports and Laing was remanded on bail to live with her parents in South
Shields.
ic South London, 24 July 2007
Kujtim Spahiu murdered a rival in a turf war over the right to steal
from London's parking metres. He was one of two gunmen who burst into a
club in Park Royal, north-west London, in October 2006 (see Incidents).
They sent drinkers diving for cover as they sprayed the hall with bullets.
One man died when he was shot through the head but two other men escaped
with their lives. Spahiu was found guilty of murder and the attempted
murders of three other men. Two men were cleared of all charges. A fourth
man, said to be the lead gunman, has never been traced by police. Spahiu
will serve at least 33 years in jail.
ic South London, 24 July 2007
Shots have been fired at a bar in Brixton. There were no reports of any
gun shot injuries. A man has been arrested on suspicion of possessing a
firearm. He had been wrestled to the ground by partygoers. Another suspect
got away and is now being hunted by police (ic South London, 26 July 2007).
ic Coventry, 24 July 2007
Two people, one a 13-year-old boy, were shot with an air rifle in
Holbrooks. Both victims were hit in the leg and needed hospital treatment.
Two 14-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of assault and released
on police bail.
Grimsby Telegraph, 24 July 2007
Police found an arsenal of weapons and drugs in a lock-up in a
privately-rented garage in Immingham. They seized a sawn-off shotgun, two
high powered air rifles, a ball-bearing gun and a machete. A man has been
arrested.
BBC, 24 July 2007
A man is critically ill after he was shot at a club in Fulham Road,
south west London, where he worked as a bouncer. He was involved in an
altercation after asking customers to stop smoking and was shot in the rear
garden area. The victim has died after his life support machine was
switched off (BBC, 27 July 2007).
BBC, 24 July 2007
A man was found with a leg injury after reports of a gunshot in
Fishwick, Preston. He was taken to hospital, although his injuries are not
believed to be life-threatening.
The Press (York), 23 July 2007
Youths carrying imitation firearms are spreading panic in Hambleton.
Police have warned that offenders are putting their own lives in danger by
wielding the weapons. They have made two arrests and have seized three
ball-bearing guns.
BBC, 23 July 2007
A teenager escaped injury when he was shot at during a drive-by shooting
in Old Trafford, Manchester. He was not hit by the bullet but a shop window
was damaged.
BBC, 23 July 2007
A man and a woman were shot in an attack in Toxteth, Liverpool. A man
suffered gunshot wounds to his back and a woman was shot in the hand.
Police believe the attack was targeted.
BBC, 23 July 2007
Three people have been arrested in Bridlington after two incidents
involving an airgun. A man was shot in the stomach but did not need
treatment for a blister caused by a pellet and the upstairs window of a
house was damaged by two pellet holes. Two of those arrested were later
released without charge and a 20-year-old man was given police bail.
Sunday Mail, 22 July 2007
A 14-year-old was recovering in hospital after being shot in the face
with an airgun by a gang of youths in Witley, Surrey. He had a pellet
removed from his neck.
BBC, 22 July 2007
A gun was fired in an incident in Hazelwood, near Selby in Yorkshire.
No one is thought to have been injured by the shot. A man has been arrested
and is being questioned by police.
This is Hampshire, 21 July 2007
Armed police went to a car park in Lyndhurst after three teenagers were
spotted carrying what appeared to be a larger rifle before getting into a
car. A ball-bearing firing air rifle was found in the boot when the car was
stopped. Three 17-year-olds were arrested and later released having
received a final warning.
This is Cheshire, 19 July 2007
An elderly woman walking home in Orford was forced to hand over her
purse by a teenager who apparently pointed a black handgun at her. A second
teenager asked her if she wanted her belongings back and both youths
returned, handed back the purse and said it had just been a joke.
Newbury Today, 19 July 2007
A teenager allegedly held up a shop assistant in Hungerford, Berkshire,
with a BB gun before making his getaway on a bicycle. A 15-year-old was
arrested on suspicion of possessing an imitation firearm but police later
released him without charge. Police are now seeking another youth.
ic South London, 19 July 2007
A man, aged about 20, was shot in the abdomen in a street in Woolwich,
south east London, died in hospital the following evening. It is unknown
whether the killing involved rival gangs but recent weeks have seen a
dramatic increase in gang violence in Greenwich.
BBC, 19 July 2007
The mother of a 12-year-old girl who died after being shot at her home
in Gorton, Manchester in April 2007 (see Incidents) has been charged with
possession of a gun.
Wirral Globe, 18 July 2007
An 18-year-old was spotted leaning out of a car window and shooting at
members of the public in New Brighton. He was arrested and issued with a
caution. The police seized the BB gun. The 17-year-old driver was also
arrested but was not charged.
This is Cheshire, 18 July 2007
The window of a police car was shattered after what was believed to have
been an air rifle pellet flew past the policeman inside the vehicle. The
car was parked on a road in Latchford.
Redditch Standard, 18 July 2007
A man who was out jogging in Redditch was hit in the leg with a pellet,
believed to be from an air rifle. A group of youths, including three boys
and a girl, was seen in the area shortly after the jogger was hit. One of
the boys was said to be carrying an air rifle.
Nottingham Evening Post, 18 July 2007
Courtney Hunt has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years for the murder
of a 17-year-old who was shot dead in The Meadows, Nottingham, in September
2006 (see Incidents). His victim was once his friend but was in competition
with Hunt, an established drug dealer, and was alleged to have insulted him
just before the shooting. Hunt was also given a 12 year concurrent sentence
for possession of a firearm.
ic Coventry, 18 July 2007
An airgun was fired at a bus in Walsgrave shattering the windscreen and
sending a shard of glass into the driver's eye. He was treated in hospital,
and police said he had been lucky not to lose the sight in his eye.
East London and West Essex Guardian, 18 July 2007
Two men armed with a handgun burst into a home in Epping, Essex, and
fled with an assortment of valuable goods, including watches, a camera and a
computer. The victim answered the door at his home, was knocked to the
ground and threatened with the gun. He was left very shaken.
Citizen (Chorley), 18 July 2007
Two teenagers approached a youth in Chorley, Lancashire, and produced an
air rifle before taking his mobile phone. Two teenagers were arrested and
charged with robbery and an air rifle was recovered.
BBC, 18 July 2007
A teenager died after he was accidentally shot in the head by a friend
while out shooting on farmland in Southease, East Sussex. The group had
been aiming at birds from a hide when he was shot.
BBC, 18 July 2007
A man has been accused of shooting dead another man in Birmingham in
April 2003. The victim died of multiple gunshot wounds to his head and
chest. Another was is also due in court accused of possession of firearms.
BBC, 18 July 2007
A 16-year-old has been shot in the eye with a pellet fired from a BB
gun. He was one of a group of people on playing fields in Deeping St James,
Lincolnshire. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and was lucky
not to lose his eye. Another 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of
actual bodily harm.
BBC, 18 July 2007
Replica guns, knives and cowboy clothes have been stolen by burglars who
broke into a house in Standens Barn, Northampton. The guns were twp replica
Colt revolvers in brown and black holsters and a Smith and Wesson
single-action gun.
BBC, 18 July 2007
Jaromir Kubanik and Vito Bertone have been jailed for 12 years each for
smuggling firearms and ammunition into the UK. They were arrested in
October 2006 when customs officers found firearms components, knives and
ammunition while searching a car at Dover docks (see Incidents). Both men
were found guilty of two counts of possessing firearms with intent to
endanger life.
Reuters, 17 July 2007
Two men have been charged with firearms offences after officers stopped
a car full of guns in the Burnage area of Manchester. Both are charged with
possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to
possess a firearm with intent to endanger life.
ic Coventry, 17 July 2007
A teacher was shot in the head at the end of a sports coaching session
in a school playground in Nuneaton. She was hit by an airgun pellet minutes
after junior school pupils had concluded an after-school cricket session.
The pellet was embedded in her scalp and she had to have it surgically
removed in hospital.
BBC, 17 July 2007
A 16-year-old was hit in the chest in a drive-by shooting in
Millharbour, east London. He was with a group of people when a single shot
was fired from a vehicle. The victim is in a stable condition in hospital.
BBC, 17 July 2007
Police were called to a property in Hayle, Cornwall, after reports that
a man had been seen entering with a firearm. A woman was arrested but
released without charge.
Wimbledon Guardian, 16 July 2007
A man died in hospital after a double shooting in Wandsworth. The
shooting took place outside a bar. The second victim, believed to be one of
the club's bouncers, was in a stable condition. It is thought that a gunman
had opened fire with a sub-machine gun.
The Press (York), 16 July 2007
A window cleaner was fired at by a youth leaning out of a nearby attic
window in York. The man described how there was an almighty smack on the
glass of the window he was cleaning and he saw a lad firing from a window
opposite with either an air rifle or a ball bearing gun. He was left
feeling shaken and comments that "if the pellet had come through the glass
[which was toughened] it could have blinded me".
ic South London, 16 July 2007
Three thieves, aged about 20, threatened staff at a jewellers in
Coulsdon with a gun. Although they smashed cabinets with hammers they only
ran off with earrings worth just £100. The robbers fled before police
arrived in response to the panic button being pressed.
Evening Telegraph (Peterborough), 16 July 2007
Terrified members of the public in Spalding, Lincolnshire, called police
after seeing two men brandishing what looked like a gun in a threatening
manner. Two men were arrested for possessing an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear of violence.
Daily Mail, 16 July 2007
Marvin Airey has admitted charges of assault, grievous bodily harm and
possession of a weapon following an incident outside a school in Bristol in
October 2006 (see Incidents). He paralysed a male teacher after
electrocuting him with a 950,000 volt stun gun, an illegal weapon, and then
punched a female teacher as she tried to help. He will be sentenced
following psychiatric reports.
BBC, 15 July 2007
Police officers cordoned off an area of land in Three Mile Cross, near
Reading in Berkshire, whilst searching rural outbuildings over fears that
they were being used to convert imitation weapons into firearms.
Express & Star, 14 July 2007
Armed police swooped on a residential street in Bridgtown in Cannock,
Staffordshire, in response to reports of a man with a gun. They surrounded
a car, smashed its windows and removed items from the vehicle. A man was
arrested but not firearm was recovered.
Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 13 July 2007
A man was shot in the leg in a late-night incident in Thornton Lodge,
Huddersfield. The shooting is believed to have been part of a continuing
dispute between gangs and happened when a group of about 10 youths smashed a
back window at the house. The shot man was taken to hospital.
This is Cheshire, 12 July 2007
Police are hunting for Craig Dodd, formerly from Longford, days after he
was released from Risley Prison. He is wanted for breaking the terms of his
release and breaching his licence. Dodd had been jailed last year after
being sentenced to two years for possession of an imitation firearm with
intent to cause fear and violence. It is reported that he has a history of
violence.
ic The Wharf, 12 July 2007
Two people, a man and a woman, were forced to hand over several items by
a group of men brandishing a silver handgun in Mudchute Park on the Isle of
Dogs in east London. The weapon had a slide and was not a revolver. This
incident, which occurred last month, happened a day before another armed
robbery in the area in which a silver handgun was used at Limehouse DLR
station (see June 2007 Incidents).
BBC, 12 July 2007
An armed gang attacked a man with a hammer and robbed him at gunpoint in
an incident in Dudley, West Midlands. The victim had his car keys, car and
mobile phone stolen. The police said that he had been threatened with a
handgun by seven offenders who demanded money.
Reuters, 11 July 2007
A man was arrested near Downing Street in London in possession of an
imitation gun. A police officer spotted what he believed to be a gun in the
man's car. There had been no security breach.
The Herald (Plymouth), 11 July 2007
Two Royal Marines have been chastised by police after they were spotted
with a BB gun whilst sitting in their car at a car park in Plymouth. A
woman believed than one of the men was holding an automatic pistol on his
lap. Her husband saw a magazine being pulled from the gun and then
replaced. Plymouth police said that the two men were 'given advice' and
told not to carry the recently purchased gun in public view again.
BBC, 10 July 2007
An armed man walked into a convenience store in Lanesfield,
Wolverhampton, and stole cash from the till. No shots were fired and no-one
was injured.
BBC, 10 July 2007
Police have released a CCTV image of two men alleged to have carried out
a multi-million pound jewellery theft in West London. The suspects arrived
in a Bentley, entered the shop and spoke to staff and then pulled out guns.
Argus (Brighton), 10 July 2007
A gunman escaped with a cash box after holding up a security van
delivering money to a bank in Worthing. Police said that the raider
threatened the two guards using a "small handgun".
Norwich Evening News, 9 July 2007
A seven-hour stand off took place between an man and police after
neighbours spotted him in his back garden in Earlham, Norfolk, firing a gun
and wielding a machete. They feared the firearm was dangerous. Officers
finally stormed the property, arrested the man and seized the machete and
what is believed to have been a BB gun. He was being question on suspicion
of possession of a firearm.
MK News, 9 July 2007
Police are hunting a gunman who attacked a flat in Milton Keynes. The
residents were woken by a bang and the sound of broken glass. No one was
injured.
BBC, 9 July 2007
A man was arrested on suspicion of possessing firearms with intent to
cause fear after police received reports of a gun being brandished at a
party in Eastington, Gloucestershire. An air rifle and a handgun which
fires pellets were recovered at the address where the man was arrested.
BBC, 9 July 2007
In a drive-by shooting in the Heaton Mersey area of Stockport, Cheshire,
a man was shot in the chest. He was being treated in hospital where he was
in a stable condition.
BBC, 9 July 2007
Police are appealing for information following reports of a gun fight in
Harlesden, north west London.
BBC, 9 July 2007
A man was in a serious condition after suffering suspected gunshot
wounds when he was attacked by two men on a motorcycle in Bow, east London.
His condition is not believed to be life threatening.
BBC, 9 July 2007
Two men were shot outside a pub in Willenhall, West Midlands, after an
altercation between two groups of men. A man was also stabbed during the
incident. One shooting victim, who was hit in the neck, is in a critical
but stable condition, the other who was shot in the leg and stomach has
since been discharged from hospital. Two 19-year-olds have been charged
with attempted murder and one of them has been charged with possessing a
firearm (BBC, 14 July 2007).
This is Nottingham, 7 July 2007
A teenager says he is lucky to be alive after being shot with an airgun.
He was walking a dog with a friend through a part in St Ann's, Nottingham,
when he was hit in the arm. He was taken to hospital for treatment, is
still off school and will not be allowed to play sports until he is fully
recovered.
BBC, 7 July 2007
A 16-year-old boy has been injured in a shooting in Hulme, Greater
Manchester. He was hit in the buttock by one of a number of shots fired
from a group of people. The victim is in hospital and his condition is
described as stable.
BBC, 7 July 2007
A man was arrested after an armed response team was called to a property
in Exeter following reports of a man threatening someone with a gun. Armed
officers seized two BB guns.
BBC, 7 July 2007
An armed man held up a petrol station in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire. He
pointed a gun at the cashier and cash was handed over in distinctive plastic
canisters which the robber put in a white plastic carrier bag.
Bolton News, 6 July 2007
Oliver Kettle ran amok with a blank firing imitation Glock handgun,
firing four rounds into the air when he was drunk after a party in Bolton in
March 2007. Two pain clothes police officers who were called to the scene
were threatened by Kettle. He refused to drop the gun but was pinned to the
ground and arrested. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and was
jailed for two years.
Scunthorpe Telegraph, 5 July 2007
A man was held at gunpoint in a street in Scunthorpe and made to hand
over his wallet. The victim was beckoned over to a car as he walked along
the road and the passenger then pulled a gun and demanded the wallet.
ic Coventry, 5 July 2007
A youth with an air rifle shot out decorative lights mounted in the
gates of a house in Wilmcote. Pellets shattered the bulbs and the lamps'
plastic casing.
BBC, 5 July 2007
A woman in a wheelchair was shot in the chest with an airgun while she
tended her husband's grave at the cemetery in Newark, Nottinghamshire. She
heard a popping sound before feeling a burning sensation in her chest. She
was treated for shock at the scene.
This is Lancashire, 4 July 2007
An armed robber escaped with around £500 in cash after terrorising staff
at a takeaway in South Shore. He demanded money from the till while
pointing a gun at staff.
ic South London, 4 July 2007
After Reggie Sackey had been stopped for not wearing a seat belt whilst
driving in Tooting, police found a handgun wrapped in a sock and wedged
between his buttocks. The 8mm pistol was a converted firearm. Officers had
found a small bag of marijuana in his car and arrested him. He pleaded
guilty of possessing a firearm, seven rounds of ammunition and herbal
cannabis. He also admitted a charge of possessing a firearm within a
prohibited period after leaving prison. Sentencing was adjourned.
East Anglian Daily Times, 4 July 2007
A teenager has told how she watched in horror as two gunmen fled after
robbing a security guard and firing a warning shot. She was working at a
pharmacy in Colchester when she and her colleagues heard a gunshot. The
gunmen had confronted the guard as he delivered cash to a bank and snatched
a cash box.
Daily Echo, 4 July 2007
A mother and her eight-week-old son were at the scene of two airgun
shootings in Wyke Regis, Dorset. In the first incident a seagull was shot
and fell near the baby as he played. In the other incident they were on a
bus when shots from an air weapon broke two nearby windows.
BBC, 3 July 2007
A former Royal protection officer has denied charges of dangerous
driving, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear and false
imprisonment. The charges follow an incident in November 2006 (see
Incidents) when a photographer is alleged to have been held at gunpoint
after he took photos of the man at his home in Chafford Hundred, Essex, and
was then chased by car to a roundabout near the Lakeside shopping centre in
Thurrock where the incident took place. The man has been cleared of
threatening the photographer with a gun (Times, 28 July 2007).
BBC, 3 July 2007
A bookmakers in Englefield Green, Surrey, was robbed by two men. Staff
were threatened with a gun by the men who demanded money from the safe.
They fled with £800 in a plastic bag.
Cambs24, 2 July 2007
An 18-year-old man received minor injuries after being shot with what is
believed to have been an air rifle as he worked at an industrial estate in
Eaton Socon, Cambridgeshire. The man was working with a colleague on
scaffolding at the site when several shots were fired.
BBC, 2 July 2007
Two men, one carrying a handgun and the other a knife, walked into a
shop in Filton, Bristol, and demanded the shopkeeper handed over cash.
Money and beer were stolen, but the beer together with clothing was dropped
close by.
BBC, 2 July 2007
A court has heard how ball bearings, and a hoard of weapons including an
airgun and several BB guns were found during a two-day search of a house in
Colne, Lancashire, belonging to one of two men accused of conspiracy to
cause an explosion with chemicals ordered over the internet. The man admits
possessing explosives, a charge denied by the other defendant. Robert
Cottage was jailed for two and a half years (Guardian, 31 July 2007).
BBC, 1 July 2007
A teenager was robbed of headphones at gunpoint when he was approached
by a group of teenagers in Preston. The victim was treated in hospital for
minor injuries.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
SCOTLAND
ic Renfrewshire, 23 July 2007
A masked robber escaped with £7000 after holding up staff at a bank in
Paisley. Staff were threatened at gunpoint during the robbery but no shots
were fired. The money will be so badly damaged with dye that it will be
worthless.
ic Renfrewshire, 18 July 2007
A cache of weapons was found by police searching a flat in Renfrew.
Police were called after neighbours claimed to have seen two men hanging out
of a window brandishing a rifle. Officers found a powerful air rifle, a
machete, a baseball bat and parts of a sawn-off shotgun. Two men have been
arrested under the Firearms Act and also face breach of the peace offences.
Evening News (Edinburgh), 11 July 2007
Nicky Robertson, 20, who shot a man with a sawn-off shotgun as he
celebrated Hibernian FC's CIS Cup Final victory outside a pub in Edinburgh
in March 2007 (see Incidents), has been jailed for ten years for the
"attempted assassination". He later told police that he had been "trying to
kill" his victim in the mistaken belief that he was planning to attack him.
BBC, 6 July 2007
Two men have been charged with firearms offences after police raided a
number of homes in Mid Craigie, Dundee, acting on a tip-off. Several
streets were cordoned off during the operation.
BBC, 5 July 2007
Three men face life sentences for the murder of a man in Castlemilk,
Glasgow, in August 2006 (see Incidents). The victim was shot in a contract
killing at his home which was thought to have been targeted at the victim's
father. John Smith and Thomas Campling were found guilty of murder and
Marcello Pacitti admitted the shooting. A fourth man, Alan Burns, was
cleared of murder but convicted of culpable homicide. Smith and Campling
have been told they must spend at least 25 years behind bars, Burns was
jailed for 10 years (BBC, 2 August 2007).
BBC, 5 July 2007
Susan Halley fired shots into several buildings near a children's play
park in Perth in March 2007. A court heard that she suffered from bi-polar
disorder and was suffering from a manic episode at the time. She was
formally acquitted on the grounds of insanity and has been made the subject
of a hospital order. Halley produced a high-powered air pistol from her
pocket when police found her. Two pellets were also found. She admitted
two charges, including recklessly discharging a firearm and possessing the
weapon without lawful authority.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
WALES
South Wales Echo, 26 July 2007
A cyclist was shot in the face with an airgun as he rode towards Merthyr
Tydfil along the Taff Trail at Rhydyfelin. The pellet narrowly missed his
right eye.
South Wales Evening Post, 12 July 2007
Police found an air rifle in a wardrobe when they searched a man's
bedroom after his parents became concerned he might harm himself. Steven
Whyte was in the room in Winch Wen, Swansea, at the time. As Whyte had
served a prison term for robbery he was prohibited from possessing the
weapon. He has been placed under supervision for a year and ordered to do
240 hours of unpaid work for the community.
BBC, 5 July 2007
Police are trying to trace a man who was reportedly seen carrying a gun
outside a bank in Corwen, Denbighshire. Armed officers and the police
helicopter were scrambled after the man was spotted.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
BBC, 31 July 2007
Two four-week-old moorhen chicks have been shot dead with airguns at a
nature reserve at Wingate Quarry in County Durham. Wildlife officers found
evidence of drinking parties by groups of youths, with property damaged and
wildlife affected.
BBC, 20 July 2007
Two seagulls were killed and another four were so severely injured they
had to be put down after they were shot with an air rifle in Hartlepool.
The RSPCA described the case as shocking.
Evening Telegraph (Peterborough), 19 July 2007
Two incidents have been reported from Bourne, Lincolnshire. A BB gun
was seized from a 12-year-old boy who was reportedly firing pellets at his
neighbour's dog. There were also reports of youths firing BB guns at ducks
in Wellhead Park.
Somerset County Gazette, 12 July 2007
Three captive fox cubs were killed and a fourth had to be put to sleep
after being shot in the head by a trespasser at Wellisford, near Wellington.
They were being cared for by the landowner in a pen as part of an RSPCA soft
release scheme. They had all been shot in the head twice with an air rifle.
This is Nottingham, 11 July 2007
A swan has died after being shot with an air rifle at Rushcliffe Country
Park. It was rescued by rangers who planed to send the bird to Yorkshire
Swan Rescue but it died 45 minutes into the journey.
Herald, 11 July 2007
A second cat has been reported to have been shot with an airgun in
Edinburgh. The cat was shot in the back in the Craigievar Square area of
the city.
BBC, 11 July 2007
A petition has been set up calling for further legislation to control
the use of air weapons after reports of a spate of incidents in Birchington,
near Margate in Kent, which have injured animals. Police are aware of the
problems and are investigating.
BBC, 10 July 2007
A father whose cat was shot with an airgun in Edinburgh told how his
young daughter found their pet and thought it was covered in ketchup. The
cat had been shot in the back of the left leg. Vets had to operate to
remove the pellet that was left behind.
Salisbury Journal, 9 July 2007
A family in Amesbury have been left angry and upset after someone shot
their pet cat with an air rifle. The cat was found with a wound just above
one of his eyes and an airgun pellet was found embedded in his head.
BBC, 29 June 2007
A 10-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily
harm after children were hit with pellets in the grounds of a junior school
in Laindon, Essex. Police believe the children were shot at with a
ball-bearing gun. Four of the seven victims of the attack needed medical
attention (Sun, 30 June 2007).
Manchester Evening News, 28 June 2007
A 15-year-old from Sale has been banned from possessing any pellet
gun, ball-bearing gun or air rifle as well as holding an axe or a firework
as part of a wide-reaching Asbo. Billy Edmunds has also been barred from an
entire estate in Trafford. The teenager had a history of aggressive
behaviour.
ic The Wharf, 28 June 2007 *
A man was dragged to the floor and threatened with a silver handgun
during a mugging near Limehouse DLR station in east London. He was punched
and kicked and made to hand over his wallet and phone. He was unable to
tell whether the weapon was real. He needed treatment in hospital for
bruising and a wound to the head which required stitches.
BBC, 28 June 2007
Two cars have been damaged by what are believed to have been shots
from an air weapon as they were being driven on the A68 between Tow Law and
Butsfield in County Durham.
BBC, 28 June 2007
Neville Wooley, 18, has been jailed for three years for threatening a
man with a shotgun at Harpury College, Gloucester, in May 2007. He admitted
possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
BBC, 28 June 2007
A man was taken to hospital after being shot in the chest with an
airgun. His injury was described as "nasty" but not life-threatening. A
house in Kirton, Lincolnshire, was later searched and a number of firearms
were recovered. A man has been arrested,
St Albans & Harpenden Review, 27 June 2007
A helicopter was scrambled after a woman had her mobile phone stolen
in Smallford, St Albans, by a man thought to be armed with a handgun. No
one was caught.
ic Coventry, 27 June 2007
A man was seriously injured when blasted with a shotgun during an
armed raid at a rugby club's social club in Henley Green, Coventry. He was
hurt when he chased after two masked robbers who had threatened staff and
stolen takings from the safe.
BBC, 27 June 2007
Two men have been arrested after armed police surrounded a home in
Hull following reports of a gunman holding another man hostage. Officers
closed off the street while they controlled the situation.
BBC, 27 June 2007
Armed police raided a house in the Filton area of Bristol after
reports that a gun had been discharged. Following an hour-long stand-off
police are questioning one person. One man sustained minor injuries after
jumping from a window.
Southern Daily Echo, 26 June 2007
A man fell 8ft onto concrete steps, injuring his spine, chest and ribs
as he tried to escape from a masked gunman in Woolston, Southampton. The
victim found the gunman in his house holding a handgun in the hallway when
he returned home.
BBC, 26 June 2007
A car was stolen at gunpoint from a man and woman, aged in their 80s,
as they parked the vehicle in Wallsend, Tyneside. The car was later seen
being driven erratically with three men inside and was recovered in Walker.
The gunman showed the couple a shotgun but did not point the weapon at them.
BBC, 24 June 2007
Five people have been arrested after a haul of weapons and chemicals
were found at properties in Kempston, Bedfordshire, and Milton Keynes.
Police discovered CS spray and BB guns at the Kempston property. The police
had been alerted after a package of stun guns was intercepted at Heathrow
Airport.
Shropshire Star, 23 June 2007
A gunman opened fire on the dancefloor of a Shrewsbury nightclub. One
man was shot in the arm. Hundreds of revellers fled to safety after the
shooting. A man with a gun threatened another man at a nearby takeaway
shortly after and police are linking the two incidents (Shropshire Star, 25
June 2007).
itv.com, 23 June 2007 *
A teenage woman who was shot in a bar in Tottenham, north London, has
died in hospital. The shooting occurred during a row in the bar. A
21-year-old has been charged with murder (In the News, 23 July 2007).
BBC, 23 June 2007
A murder inquiry is under way after a man was shot dead in a street in
Acton, west London.
ic South London, 22 June 2007
According to a Lambeth youth worker children as young as 10 are being
arrested for firearms offences. She said that four 10-year-olds had been
arrested recently, but Lambeth police said they had no record of this.
Evening Telegraph (Peterborough), 22 June 2007
Robert Koperek took a BB gun from his car after he had got into an
argument in a bar in Peterborough in March 2007. He was drunk at the time
and pointed the gun, which he had bought for £25 at a market stall, at the
bar manager's head and then hit him over the head with the gun twice.
Koperek pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm with intent to
cause fear and causing actual bodily harm. He was given a suspended
12-month jail sentence, ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and to
pay his victim £750 in compensation.
BBC, 22 June 2007
Police investigating a caravan crash on the M5 near Avonmouth have
arrested the driver on suspicion of possessing a prohibited weapon. During
a search of the vehicle the police found a police-style baton and a stun gun
loaded with CS spray.
BBC, 21 June 2007
A man from Plymouth has been arrested after police seized an
unregistered shotgun. Officers were called to the St Judes area to reports
that a bird had been killed and cars damaged. The gun and shotgun
cartridges were found at an address in the area.
Channel 4 News, 20 June 2007
An armed police officer accidentally fired a weapon inside a police
station in Exeter, damaging a patrol car. He has been removed from firearms
operations.
BBC, 20 June 2007
An armed gang threatened to shoot a sub-postmistress in her shop in
Denshaw, Greater Manchester. The men were armed with an axe, a large knife
and a gun. As one man kept guard at the door the other two took money and
other items. The stolen car used by the gang was later found abandoned.
Post Offices Ltd is offering a reward for information leading to the
conviction and arrest of the men responsible.
BBC, 19 June 2007
Police were called to Bury, Greater Manchester, to investigate reports
that a man who had been sitting in a car had been shot by two men. No-one
was injured.
Gazette, 18 June 2007
Nine BB guns were seized by police after young people were seen
carrying them in public in Hook, Hampshire. The guns looked so authentic
that from several feet the police struggled to tell the difference from a
real pistol. Six guns were taken from youngsters aged between 12 and 14
after they were spotted by an off duty officer. The guns were bought from a
stall at a market in Yateley which police and trading standards are now
investigating. The marker manager said that they didn't let stallholders
sell BB guns. Three other BB guns were handed into police by parents.
BBC, 18 June 2007
Police have mounted extra patrols in an area of Blackburn after two
shots were fired at a house. It is believed that the shooting could be
linked to a fight between two groups of youths. Three people have been
arrested in connection with both incidents. One man has been detained under
the Mental Health Act (BBC, 20 June 2007).
This is Hampshire, 16 June 2007
A convenience store in Dibden Purlieu, Hampshire, was raided by a
masked gunman armed with a silver handgun. He demanded money and
cigarettes, which were handed to him by a member of staff and placed in a
carrier bag.
Leicester Mercury, 16 June 2007 *
A gun collector, Kenneth Milburn, who kept illegal pistols at his
house in Enderby has been jailed for five years. His home was raided in
July 2005 and Army bomb disposal experts were called in to remove an arsenal
which included 12 rifles, 12 shotguns, 18 air weapons and about 100 antique
weapons. There was also a quantity of bullets and cartridges. He was
charged with owning 12 banned handguns and had pleaded guilty to possession
of them.
Evening Chronicle (Newcastle), 16 June 2007
A masked gunman burst into a family post office in Ryton, Gateshead,
with a sawn-off shotgun. Before the man could do anything the couple behind
the counter darted into their adjoining house and called the police. The
man escaped empty handed.
BBC, 16 June 2007
One man has died and another has been injured following a shooting in
the centre of Manchester. Both victims were taken to hospital but one of
them died later. The other man's condition was not thought to be
life-threatening.
Daily Mail, 14 June 2007
A secondary schoolteacher from Oldham, who has kept a record of
abusive or threatening behaviour at his school, includes an incident of a
child parading a ball-bearing gun in the classroom in the dossier.
Hereford Times, 14 June 2007
A 13-year-old girl received injuries to her arm and knee after being
shot with a ball-bearing gun from a passing car in Leominster. She was
walking down the street with a friend at the time of the attack which
resulted in two flesh wounds to her arm and two in each knee. A youth was
arrested on suspicion of assault and issued with a reprimand.
Gazette, 14 June 2007
Two 15-year-olds have been criticised after they were seen brandishing
an imitation firearm in Yate, South Gloucestershire. Officers had received
reports that a teenager was in possession of a handgun in a park. Police
recovered the BB gun from a rubbish bin. One of the teenagers has been
released on bail, the other has been given a reprimand.
Express & Star, 14 June 2007
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) have criticised
Staffordshire Police's armed response unit for its tactics during an
operation in Rugeley in August 2006 (see Incidents). A police officer
misfired a bullet during a series of blunders leading to a man having two
fingers shot off. The man, David Shepherd, was shot twice outside a school
after he was seen leaning out of his car window holding what appeared to be
a handgun. When Shepherd was arrested it was discovered that the firearm
was a ball-bearing gun. Shepherd was given a six year jail sentence in
February 2007 (see Incidents).
Bolton News, 14 June 2007
A man was kidnapped by a gang of three who jumped on him as he was
walking home in Bolton, threatening him with a handgun and a Samurai sword.
They demanded he get in the car and took him to Leverhulme Park where they
told him he had three days to give them £10,000 or they would "chop his
fingers off". The victim contacted the police as soon as the gang abandoned
him. Officers have fitted a panic button linked to police at his home.
BBC, 14 June 2007
Shots are thought to have been fired during a fight involving 10 men
in Southampton during which a man was chased and stabbed. According to
police no-one suffered any gunshot wounds. Two people have been arrested.
BBC, 14 June 2007
A man brandishing what appeared to be a dark grey pistol attempted to
rob a store in Northampton. The man, in his late teens, walked into the
store, produced the weapon and demanded that the till be opened. The
offender fled the store after the till wasn't opened.
This is Lancashire, 13 June 2007
A masked gunman robbed two women cashiers at a petrol station in
Higher Ince, Wigan. The man, armed with a handgun, walked into the kiosk
and demanded money. No one was injured but the two women were left
extremely shaken and distressed.
BBC, 13 June 2007
A 14-year-old boy and a man in his twenties have been arrested by
armed police officers called to a park in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire,
after reports of a group of people handling a gun. Police seized air rifles
and imitation guns. Both of those arrested were later released with a
caution.
BBC, 13 June 2007
A man was shot on the driveway of a house in Walsall. The victim was
taken to hospital, but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Redditch Advertiser, 12 June 2007
A teenager was walking along a street in Headless Cross when the
driver of a taxi drove past and shot her with a paintball, covering her in
green paint. She says she is now frightened of going out at night after the
incident. The paintball hit her so hard that she fell over and hurt one of
her toes.
Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 12 June 2007
A woman was hit in the back with a small plastic pellet fired from an
airgun as she was standing in front of a house in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire.
The victim received minor injuries.
Gazette & Herald, 11 June 2007 *
Scott Symonds, 18, of Penhill, Swindon, has admitted a charge of
possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and
criminal damage to a van. He had threatened a woman with the gun, a Skif
A3000 air weapon, by pointing the gun into the face of the victim. He
denied an allegation of common assault and criminal damage to the victim's
door. Symonds, who was currently in custody was remanded until July and the
judge ordered a pre-sentence report. He has been jailed for two years
(Swindon Advertiser, 9 July 2007).
BBC, 11 June 2007
A 19-year-old youth was arrested for carrying an imitation gun which
he had bought for £8 at a car boot sale. An armed response unit attended a
retail park and monitored the situation before arresting the man when a car
was stopped by four officers in Wootton, Northamptonshire. Chief Constable
Peter Maddison called the act of carrying the gun "extremely irresponsible
because it put the man's life in danger". The man was given a conditional
discharge by magistrates.
BBC, 11 June 2007
A court has heard that a man attempted to murder a police officer
simply because he wanted to shoot a policeman. A plain clothes officers was
shot twice in the shoulder in Wolverhampton in November 2006 (see Incidents)
after a first shot had missed him. He underwent a four-hour operation to
repair a damaged artery. Marcus Bailey denied attempted murder and two
counts of possessing a firearm but was convicted and sentenced to a minimum
of 15 years in jail (BBC, 19 June 2007).
BBC, 11 June 2007
Two teenagers were shot by a gang of five men who were driving in a
car that had been stolen at gunpoint in Hulme, Greater Manchester. The
teenagers were targeted in Moss Side. It is thought that two of the men in
the car were holding handguns and they fired a number of shots towards the
boys. The car was recovered a short time later. Both teenagers suffered
minor injuries in the shooting.
BBC, 11 June 2007
A woman has been shot and killed by armed police in Sevenoaks, Kent.
They were called after a woman with a gun was seen in the centre of the
town. The woman was given first aid at the scene but pronounced dead. A
firearm was recovered. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said
that an investigation would be carried out. It is reported that the woman's
gun, which she refused to drop, was a realistic looking ball-bearing gun
(Guardian, 12 June 2007).
News Shopper, 10 June 2007
Police are hunting three men who burgled and threatened a couple with
a handgun in Orpington, Kent. The couple were assaulted and threatened
before being tied up. The suspects stole over £6000 in British and Hong
Kong currency, along with several items of jewellery.
BBC, 9 June 2007
A man was recovering after a gun attack in Swinton, Greater
Manchester. The victim was found by police in the front garden of a
property and had been shot in the leg. His injury is not believed to be
life-threatening.
Willesden & Brent Times, 8 June 2007
Eighteen-year-old Jerrell Gourde will serve at least six years behind
bars after shooting a 16-year-old in the stomach with a sawn-off shotgun in
a recreation ground in Neasden in November 2006. Gourde was high on cocaine
at the time and acted in revenge after rowing with the younger teenager when
he crashed into him on his pedal cycle at the park entrance. His victim had
threatened him with a brick. Gourde was convicted of attempted murder in
April.
Wigan Today, 8 June 2007
A pensioner had a rifle-style gun pointed at her after chasing a
youngster who fled from East Leigh Labour Club when he saw her. The boy ran
across the road before turning back and training the gun on her, then aimed
at a window before pulling the trigger. It is believed that the weapon was
probably a BB gun.
Richmond and Twickenham Times, 8 June 2007
Armed police were called to Richmond station after an off duty officer
thought he saw a man with a small silver handgun in his trousers. The man
was chased along the railway line towards Kew and then into Old Deer Park
but was lost. Because no crime was committed as the sighting of the gun was
not confirmed and no suspect or gun was found, there is no investigation
according to British Transport Police.
Hackney Gazette, 8 June 2007
A man out walking his dog in Dalston was forced to hand over the puppy
to a four-strong gang who threatened to shoot him unless he let go of the
puppy. A car pulled up alongside him and two passengers leapt out and
started asking questions about the dog. One of them took hold of the lead
and after a struggle put his hand down the waistband of his trousers as if
to get a gun and threatened to shoot the owner.
Bedford Today, 8 June 2007
Kieran Johnson carried out a raid on a post office and newsagents in
Henlow in July 2006 (see August 2006 Incidents) to get money for heroin. He
has pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with
intent and was jailed for four years. He held up the couple who ran the
post office with a small imitation handgun and a knife. He made his escape
on bicycle pursued by the shopkeeper but got away by riding over the foot of
another man who tried to stop him.
BBC, 8 June 2007
Mark Mawson, a psychiatric patient, took a woman hostage in a siege at
a house in Chadwell St Mary in Essex using an imitation gun he had fashioned
a weapon out of marker pens taped to a vacuum cleaner handle. He had
absconded from a hospital while on a trip in February 2007 and entered his
girlfriend's mother's home. The woman was not injured in the siege which
ended when police fired a baton round and threw grenades into the building.
BBC, 8 June 2007
Three teenagers have been arrested after an incident in East
Bridgford, Nottingham, when a man walked up to a taxi and tapped a gun on
the window to distract the driver. At the same time the passengers, two
teenage girls, got out without paying their fare and ran off with the man.
Police arrested an 18-year-old man and two girls aged 15 and 16.
This is Local London, 7 June 2007
A man, registered with Kent Police as a firearms dealer, is on trial
after he was caught allegedly selling illegal pistols from his home. Police
seized a cache of around 900 firearms from the house in Dartford in
September 2006 (see Incidents). According to the prosecution, the haul
included illegal weapons including Browning semi-automatic pistols,
double-barrelled shotguns, Remington double-barrelled pistols and Wild
West-style Colt single-shot guns. The defendant claims all the guns are
antiques. He was arrested after Operation Trident officers recovered a
Smith and Wesson revolver from a youth in the Old Kent Road in December
2005. The man was accused of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to
cause fear of violence, eight counts of selling or transferring a prohibited
weapon, 12 counts of possessing a prohibited weapon and one count of
possessing explosives. Nine of the 22 charges were dropped (BBC, 22 June
2007). He was found not guilty of all the remaining 13 charges (BBC, 29
June 2007).
Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 7 June 2007
A mother was shot in front of her two children when youths opened fire
with an airgun from the grounds of a church in Kirkheaton. The family were
at a popular funfair. The victim had a .22 pellet removed in hospital and
has six stitches from the middle of her mouth to the back of her teeth. Two
other women were injured by a volley of shots. An airgun was recovered from
the church graveyard after the incident, and two youths, aged 15 and 16,
were arrested and released on bail pending further inquiries. It was
reported that a few days earlier a group of four teenagers had been spotted
with an air rifle in the graveyard and a youth had been seen to shoot a
pigeon out of the trees. After an argument with the group the witness
believes he was shot at and called the police right away, but learnt later
that no patrol car had been sent for three hours.
BBC, 7 June 2007
Dean Stanbury has been jailed for at least six years after he was
found guilty of wounding with intent and a firearms charge. He shot a
policeman and fired shots at two other officers on a busy street in
Leytonstone, east London, when he opened fire after discovering that the
officers were keeping him under surveillance in June 2006 (see Incidents).
He was cleared of three counts of attempted murder by the court.
Sky News, 6 June 2007
A serving soldier has been charged with illegal possession of
ammunition after being arrested at a barracks at Thorney Island near
Chichester. It is believed that police officers from Operation Trident were
acting on a tip-off over the sale of army-issue bullets.
Lewes Today, 6 June 2007
Cars were shot at with an air rifle as they drove through an estate in
Lewes, Sussex. Three drivers were shocked to be targeted. None of the
drivers was injured but the windscreen of one of the cars was smashed.
BBC, 6 June 2007
Armed robbers threatened staff at a bank in Goring, West Sussex, with
a pistol before fleeing on a motorbike. The two men stole a quantity of
cash. No shots were fired but staff were left shocked by the incident.
News & Star, 5 June 2007
A gunman demanded cash from a cashier at a post office in Arnside,
Cumbria. After the incident the man was seen being driven away in a car.
Hereford Times, 5 June 2007
Police in Herefordshire have issued a warning about the use of BB guns
in public places. The warning comes after an increasing number of incidents
in which individuals - many of them teenagers - have been seen carrying and
sometimes firing the weapons in Hereford city centre. In recent weeks BB
guns were confiscated from teenagers after they were reported firing them
inside an underpass. A 21-year-old man was arrested after two motorists
reported having pellets fired at the vehicles on Hereford's ring road. One
of the pellets struck a female moped rider on her helmet.
BBC, 4 June 2007
A street in Avenham, Preston, was cordoned off by police after locals
reported hearing gunshots being fired. Officers took away a car they were
examining. A 19-year-old man has been charged with three counts of
attempted murder and three offences of possessing a firearm (BBC, 6 June
2007).
Sunday Telegraph, 3 June 2007
Philip Cottam has admitted having an air rifle in a public place and
possessing an offensive weapon. This follows an incident in a bar in
Sheffield in March 2007 when actress Joanna Lumley saw a weapon fall to the
floor from a man's bag. She talked to the man while police, alerted by
others in the bar, rushed to the scene. The weapon was a gas-propelled
airgun that was loaded with 13 pellets. Cottam told police he was taking
the gun to a shop to have a laser sight fitted to it but had stopped for a
drink. He was given a four-month jail term suspended for 12 months and
placed on a curfew until he begins a rehabilitation placement.
Observer, 3 June 2007
Two 12-year-olds were being questioned by police after a bus driver
was shot in the face aboard a bus in North Baddersley, near Southampton.
The pair demanded cash before one of them drew an airgun and fired shots at
the driver. The victim was not badly hurt.
BBC, 3 June 2007
An armed men threatened members of the public in a street in Lincoln
with a knife and an air rifle. Armed police were called out and a man was
arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. No-one was injured
during the incident.
BBC, 3 June 2007
A masked gunman shot dead a man in Romford, Essex. The victim is
believed to have driven to the scene and was shot when he walked towards a
van parked there. It is thought that the gunman emerged from nearby
shrubbery.
Hartlepool Mail, 2 June 2007
In a second attack reported by the newspaper, a teenager was left with
blurred vision after a gang of youths fired a ball-bearing handgun at him in
an unprovoked attack in Peterlee. The shot resulted in a bruised iris. The
perpetrators were said to be around 18 years old.
Hartlepool Mail, 2 June 2007
A 12-year-old schoolgirl was shot twice with a ball-bearing gun in the
West View area of Hartlepool by a balaclava-clad attacker. She was shot in
the neck and leg in what police said could have had "horrific consequences".
Pendle Today, 1 June 2007
A powerful air rifle has been stolen from a pigeon loft on an
allotment in Colne. The Deirach .22 calibre under-lever gun is a type often
used for killing vermin and shooting rabbits and was taken from an unlocked
wooden shed.
BBC, 1 June 2007
Three masked intruders broke into the home of a man in the Parson
Cross area of Sheffield and threatened him with a shotgun. The man and his
family were uninjured but shaken. The men had demanded cash, but police say
they were unsure of the motive.
BBC, 1 June 2007
A large amount of cash has been stolen in an armed raid in Croydon,
south London. Up to eight people entered the American Express shop and
threatened staff with a gun, which was also fired. The gang ran off to two
waiting cars.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCOTLAND
Daily Record, 30 June 2007 *
Shots were fired at two cars outside the home of a man who was shot
dead in March 2007. Up to five shots were fired outside his family's home
in Carntyne, Glasgow.
Daily Record, 29 June 2007
Ryan McWilliams, who fired a .22 air rifle at youths and threatened
them with knives, has admitted a number of public order and firearms
offences. The incidents occurred in Strathpeffer, Wester Ross in March
2007. His defence claimed he was defending himself. Sentencing has been
deferred.
BBC, 28 June 2007
A man has died after a shooting outside a pub in Bishopbriggs, East
Dunbartonshire. The victim was taken to hospital but was dead on arrival.
Evening News (Edinburgh), 25 June 2007
An eight-year-old boy was shot in the eye with a BB gun by a gang of
youths in Edinburgh. The boy was playing outside a house at the time and
was very frightened after the attack. He was immediately taken to hospital
for treatment. His eye has remained bloodshot with bruising to the back of
the eye and swelling to the front.
Evening News (Edinburgh), 22 June 2007
Following a spate of incidents in the Lothians two young children have
been charged with shooting and threatening girls with pellet guns. A
12-year-old boy was charged with assault after a 14-year-old girl was shot
in the head and leg as she walked along a street in Mayfield, Midlothian.
She was shot with a BB gun, and, although her injuries were not described as
serious, she was left badly shaken by the attack. In another incident in
Midlothian two girls aged 15 and 17 had a BB gun pointed in their faces in a
street in Loanhead. A 13-year-old boy was later charged with a breach of
the peace. In a third incident a man was struck with a pellet from what is
thought to have been an airgun as he cycled through Prestonpans. Four
youths were seen running away following the incident.
BBC, 21 June 2007
In January 2007 a pair of boys walked into a shop in Stranraer with
their faces masked, pointed an air pistol at an assistant and demanded money
(see Incidents). A 13-year-old and a 14-year-old have admitted assaulting
the shop worker, threatening her with violence and stealing money and
cigarettes. Sentence was deferred to next month.
BBC, 18 June 2007
Two shootings in the south of Glasgow were being linked by police. In
the first incident two men fired a gun from a car at a man walking his dog
in Pollok. On the following evening a gun was fired through a house window
in Darnley. A car, similar to the one used in the first incident, was seen
leaving the scene of the second shooting. An unoccupied, fire-damaged car
was later found by police. No one was injured but the dog sustained a wound
to its leg and was treated by a local vet.
Evening News (Edinburgh), 7 June 2007
Police are hunting children as young as six after a 15-year-old
schoolboy was shot in the eye with a pellet from a BB gun as he walked along
a lane in Dalkeith. Three children, aged between six and eight, were seen
running from the scene. The victim was lucky to escape serious injury and
could easily have been blinded.
BBC, 6 June 2007
A firefighter narrowly escaped injury after air rifle shots were fired
at Alloa Fire Station, Clackmannanshire. The shots were fired from a field
behind the station and hit the wall. Firefighters were clearing up after
training exercise at the time.
BBC, 6 June 2007
An 18-year-old female driver has been shot in the head with an airgun
while she was driving her car in Rosyth, Fife. A pellet was fired through
her open car window. The pellet was removed during an operation and the
victim is recovering from the incident.
BBC, 4 June 2007
A theft of two shotguns and cartridges from a house in Edinburgh is
being investigated. The weapons were a Beretta Silver Pigeon and a Yildiz.
They were taken from a house broken into in the Wardie area of the city.
Sunday Mail, 3 June 2007
A taxi driver was shot in the head with an air rifle after a row over
a fare. After arriving at the house of two of the passengers in Bearsden
there was a dispute over the fare and one of the men went into the house,
came back with an air rifle and shot the driver in the forehead. The driver
was treated in hospital and released.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WALES
BBC, 27 June 2007
A man is in a critical condition after being shot in the stomach by a
police officer in Rassau, Ebbw Vale. Firearms officers and negotiators went
to a house in the area after claims that a man with a gun was inside. The
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating.
BBC, 14 June 2007
A 13-year-old boy has permanently left a private school in Llanelli
after firing plastic pellets from a BB gun at other pupils. One pupil had
to be taken to hospital after being shot in the eye. The incident took
place in one of the back fields where the pupils play at break times.
According to the Western Mail (15 June 2007) the boy was rugby tackled by
classmates who wrestled the gun off him before alerting teachers.
South Wales Echo, 13 June 2007
South Wales Police have not ruled out that an air rifle was used in an
attack on a car being driven on the A473 between Llanharan and Llantrisant.
A roadside missile shattered the window of a car in which a woman and four
children were travelling. Glass covered the back seats but luckily none of
the passengers was injured. A 20-year-old, fined £80 after being caught
firing an airgun at a woodland target near the scene, was not being linked
to the incident.
South Wales Echo, 1 June 2007
Sam Bisgrove, 18, pointed an air rifle at a frightened family on their
own doorstep over an alleged £10 debt. He said "I'll shoot you if you don't
give me my money now". The unloaded gun was later found under Bisgrove's
bed in Barry. He pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm. He has
been given an eight month jail sentence, suspended as long as he completes
150 hours community work and attends one of the probation service's
"Enhanced Thinking Skills" courses.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
INCIDENTS INVOLVING ANIMALS
See Also Personal Accounts
Express & Star, 29 June 2007
A baby swan was found shot dead after an airgun attack on the River
Tame in Sandwell, West Midlands. A local campaigner has offered £500 to
help catch the person responsible for the latest in a long line of attacks
on birds.
Northern Echo, 28 June 2007
A family has offered a reward after the fatal shooting of their cat
who was found lying in distress on the drive way of their cottage in Newton
Hall, Co. Durham. An x-ray revealed an airgun pellet in his abdomen. The
cat had been shot about the top of his front let and the pellet had gone
through his chest, shattered a rib, which collapsed a lung and went on into
the abdomen.
Burnham & Highbridge Weekly News, 25 June 2007
A gunman using an air rifle to take pot shots at birds in Burnham,
Somerset, is causing "extreme concern" for animal experts. A herring gull
had to be put down after receiving serious injuries and another bird has
been shot through the wing.
Evening News (Edinburgh), 23 June 2007
A cat owner from Ratho Station, Midlothian, says her pets are being
deliberately targeted after one was shot with an airgun and the other badly
injured in a suspected beating. A pellet was removed from a wound in the
side of the shot cat by a vet. The Scottish SPCA have reported that there
were 32 airgun attacks on animals in the Lothians in 2006, compared with 23
in 2005.
politics.co.uk, 20 June 2007
Following a prosecution brought by the RSPCA Richard Freeman, 18, has
admitted his part in the torture of a kitten and been ordered to do unpaid
work for 200 hours and to complete a 12-month supervision order. A
16-year-old girl was sentenced to a 12-month referral order. Both were
disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years and ordered to pay £250 costs
and £25 for vets bills. One other male youth pleaded guilty to cruelly
ill-treating the kitten and another to aiding and abetting and cruelly
ill-treating. They were both given a 12-month supervision order combined
with a six-month surveillance programme for 90 days with a curfew. They too
were banned from keeping animals for 10 years. The cat's owner, Debbie
Brown, had pleaded guilty to two offences of causing unnecessary suffering
by failing to exercise reasonable care and supervision and of failing to
obtain veterinary attention. The kitten was shot in the face by an airgun
close to his eye in August 2006 as well as being thrown up and down a
stairway. The torture was captured on a mobile phone. The RSPCA were
called to an address in Stoke-on-Trent the day after where two kittens, one
of which had blood on his face, were found.
Birmingham Mail, 19 June 2007
A family from Pensnett, near Dudley, have had six cats shot in the
past seven years, according to the RSPCA, and only one of the six survived.
In the latest incident a female cat was found dead in a neighbour's garden
with a puncture wound in her side.
BBC, 18 June 2007
The RSPCA in another region, the West Midlands, has released figures
showing an increase in airgun attacks and has urged people to report gun
incidents. In 2006 they received 90 calls to airgun incidents, 33 involving
shot cat and 37 concerning injured birds. A recent victim of a fatal airgun
attack was a cat who was shot in Willenhall in the Black Country in May. A
pellet fired from a gas powered air rifle snapped her spine, leaving her
paralysed (Birmingham Mail, 19 June 2007).
BBC, 18 June 2007
The RSPCA in Wales has condemned "mindless" airgun attacks on pets and
wildlife, the majority of which occurred during school holidays or lighter
evenings. There were 42 incidents in 2006 (22 involving wild birds and 14
involving cats), but the charity believes that this offers only a snapshot
of a "serious problem" in Wales. A recent incident in Brackia, Bridgend,
resulted in a cat being shot four times in the back garden of her home.
Other incidents in recent weeks have resulted in two blackbirds, a seagull
and a magpie shot dead in Grangetown, Cardiff. Another gull was shot in
Barry Island and had to be put down.
Somerset County Gazette, 11 June 2007
A cat who was found under foliage in a neighbour's garden, unable to
move, has had to be put down after x-rays showed he had been shot with an
air rifle. The cat from Comeytrowe had a pellet lodged in his intestine
causing such serious injuries that he could not be save.
Bolton News, 11 June 2007
A cat taken in as a stray by an animal lover has died after being shot
with an air rifle. His owner found the cat looking scared and disorientated
outside her home in Kearsley. A vat discovered on an x-ray that a .22
calibre pellet was lodged in the cat's bladder and had caused severe
internal injuries. The cat had to be put down.
Southern Daily Echo, 10 June 2007
A cat owner has offered a £2000 reward to catch the person who shot
his cat in the face with a shotgun. The cat suffered horrific injuries and
was lucky to survive after pellets had lodged in her neck and throat,
shattered her front leg and pierced her ear. The cat was left for dead
after the attack which took place in a field in Owlesbury, near Winchester.
Although shooting is allowed on the property no one had the owner's
authority to shoot on the evening of the incident.
This is Hampshire, 9 June 2007
Cat owners in Chandler's Ford have been warned to be on their guard
after a spate of shootings involving an air weapon. Injures to four cats
have been reported in the last month. It is believed that an air rifle or
similar weapon was used to hit the animals.
Evening Star, 4 June 2007
Eight pigeons belonging to a man from west Ipswich have been killed in
two years. All have been found with airgun wounds near his home or, in the
latest instance, in his pigeon loft. The latest pigeon to be killed had
just flown 300 miles back from Scotland.
Bury Free Press, 1 June 2007
A cat has lost his front right leg after being shot with a rifle,
probably a rimfire weapon more powerful than an air rifle. When he was
found by his owners in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, his leg was hanging limp
and was found to be completely shattered.
.
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