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Gun Crime
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A YOUNG man walked into a police station and handed over a sub-machine gun after crumbling under the pressure of "minding" it.
Shaun Wood had run up a drug debt with his Childwall dealer after losing his job.
To pay off the �200 cannabis bill he agreed to store small amounts of the drug at his home in Clayford Crescent, Knotty Ash.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the 22-year-old was ordered to hold increasingly serious drugs, including crack cocaine, until he was given the MAC sub-machine gun and ammunition.
But Charles Lander, prosecuting, told the court after three months holding the weapon the pressure eventually got to Wood, who had repeatedly asked for the gun to be removed.
He picked up the weapon and began to walk around Southport � eventually going to the town's police station where "visibly shaking and distressed" he voluntarily handed it over.
Wood told officers he had simply wanted to get rid of the firearm and had been contemplating suicide.
He admitting filling the gun with bullets, but said he had been unable to sleep while it was in his house.
Yesterday Judge Sean Duncan said he accepted the circumstances were exceptional enough to reduce the statutory five year jail term and sentenced Wood to 2� years in prison.
He branded Wood's decision "brave".
Should he have been sentenced at all?
Shaun Wood had run up a drug debt with his Childwall dealer after losing his job.
To pay off the �200 cannabis bill he agreed to store small amounts of the drug at his home in Clayford Crescent, Knotty Ash.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the 22-year-old was ordered to hold increasingly serious drugs, including crack cocaine, until he was given the MAC sub-machine gun and ammunition.
But Charles Lander, prosecuting, told the court after three months holding the weapon the pressure eventually got to Wood, who had repeatedly asked for the gun to be removed.
He picked up the weapon and began to walk around Southport � eventually going to the town's police station where "visibly shaking and distressed" he voluntarily handed it over.
Wood told officers he had simply wanted to get rid of the firearm and had been contemplating suicide.
He admitting filling the gun with bullets, but said he had been unable to sleep while it was in his house.
Yesterday Judge Sean Duncan said he accepted the circumstances were exceptional enough to reduce the statutory five year jail term and sentenced Wood to 2� years in prison.
He branded Wood's decision "brave".
Should he have been sentenced at all?
Answers
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The sub-machine gun was not loaded when he got it, he loaded it himsel. He was suicidal, deprived of sleep and wandered through Southport wi a loaded weapon. Who knows what would have happened if he had "snapped" and decided to kill himsel whilst out and about?
There was nothing stopping him 'phoning the police and getting them to collect it in a safe manner. I can't see what was brave about the actions of a suicidal drug addict wandering about wi a loaded sub-machine gun.
There was nothing stopping him 'phoning the police and getting them to collect it in a safe manner. I can't see what was brave about the actions of a suicidal drug addict wandering about wi a loaded sub-machine gun.
I agree with TCL. he didn't have to physically take the gun into the police station,he could easily have phoned for them to come and get it.Loading it showed intent to use it, whether on others or himself is irrelevant.
Lets just hope he gets treatment for the drug addiction and can find a home away from his usual abode after release..............I wouldn't be surprised to be reading of this guys death at the hands of the dealers in 12 months time (or less).
Lets just hope he gets treatment for the drug addiction and can find a home away from his usual abode after release..............I wouldn't be surprised to be reading of this guys death at the hands of the dealers in 12 months time (or less).
As I live in Southport, this incident is close to home, so to speak.
After I read about this case in our local paper, I wondered why a prosecution had been brought in at all - since he surrendered it voluntarily. Had he had kept quiet, it may never had come to light.
However, in his state of mind, he was a liability and something could have gone terribly wrong.
He did the right thing.
Would I have prosecuted him? I don't know, possibly not.
After I read about this case in our local paper, I wondered why a prosecution had been brought in at all - since he surrendered it voluntarily. Had he had kept quiet, it may never had come to light.
However, in his state of mind, he was a liability and something could have gone terribly wrong.
He did the right thing.
Would I have prosecuted him? I don't know, possibly not.
He should have been sentenced. Why? Because he did something illegal. And that's what the judicial system is supposed to judge on.
Having said that, I think the decision of the Judge was a good one. If you decrease the sentence you may incentivise more people like him to give it up. And if handled properly that can lead you to more serious offenders.
TCL: The fact is that it takes considerable bravery when you have drug dealers looking over your shoulder to turn over something like that. I know you can say 'well, he shouldn't have gotten there in the first place' which is fair enough, but it's not really relevant to the bravery of this individual act when judged in isolation.
Having said that, I think the decision of the Judge was a good one. If you decrease the sentence you may incentivise more people like him to give it up. And if handled properly that can lead you to more serious offenders.
TCL: The fact is that it takes considerable bravery when you have drug dealers looking over your shoulder to turn over something like that. I know you can say 'well, he shouldn't have gotten there in the first place' which is fair enough, but it's not really relevant to the bravery of this individual act when judged in isolation.
I have'nt come across this story, seems to me the sentance is a bit harsh.
He did do the right thing and he was clearly involved with ruthless villains, I imagine he went out with the intention of dumping the rifle his bottle had plainly gone and who knows how one would react in such circumstances?
Maybe there's a mandatory sentancing limit in here, tough one to call....
He did do the right thing and he was clearly involved with ruthless villains, I imagine he went out with the intention of dumping the rifle his bottle had plainly gone and who knows how one would react in such circumstances?
Maybe there's a mandatory sentancing limit in here, tough one to call....
If he hadn't been given a prison sentence that would have given all gun toting criminals the idea of saying they were going to hand it in when caught with a loaded gun in public. I don't doubt the bloke was scared of the dealers who made him look after the unloaded weapon and ammunition,but why did he have to load it before handing it in? This was a man wandering the streets with a loaded weapon for crying out loud!!!
TCL- but he didn't snap and he handed it in. You can't prosecute someone for what 'might' happen otherwise everyone who drives a car should be arrested if caught in a pub (just in case they go drink driving).
daffy - it wasn't in public - it was in a police station when he handed it over - hardly the same thing or something that can be used as an excuse. Also, if you call the police and ask them to come round as you have a sub machine gun, do you think it likely that one of your neighbours may see the armed police coming to collect it and tell the drug dealer about it? Do you think you could live there for much longer?
Stoke - I should have figured that you wouldn't understand that he never had any intention of using the gun (except maybe on himself) and handed it in to the police (the correct thing to do)
I personally am not convinced that he will get out of prison once the dealers in there know what he did.
daffy - it wasn't in public - it was in a police station when he handed it over - hardly the same thing or something that can be used as an excuse. Also, if you call the police and ask them to come round as you have a sub machine gun, do you think it likely that one of your neighbours may see the armed police coming to collect it and tell the drug dealer about it? Do you think you could live there for much longer?
Stoke - I should have figured that you wouldn't understand that he never had any intention of using the gun (except maybe on himself) and handed it in to the police (the correct thing to do)
I personally am not convinced that he will get out of prison once the dealers in there know what he did.
If you had read my first reply properly oneyedvic you would also have seen that I said I wouldn't be surprised to hear of this man's death at the hands of the dealers. If you get mixed up with drug dealers its a risk you take,its his own fault he got into debt with them,nobody else's.
He got off lightly with two and a half years,most people get the full five years.
He got off lightly with two and a half years,most people get the full five years.
But point is that he could have just thrown the gun into a skip and no one would have been any the wiser. It says that he has no previous convictions so presumably the police wouldn't even have had his fingerprints.
That (to me) is the trouble with the sentence - if this happened again, the person would not hand it in but probably recirculate the weapon - far safer from their point of view.
That (to me) is the trouble with the sentence - if this happened again, the person would not hand it in but probably recirculate the weapon - far safer from their point of view.
oneyevic its obviously you who dont get the point isnt it?the bloke was walking the streets with a loaded SUB MACHINE GUN NOT A PEASHOOTER it doesnt matter that he did not intend to use it does it?what if it had gone off accidentally killing innocent people?yes you obviously have missed the point havent you?i will spell it out for you oneyevic..............IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO CARRY FIREARMS IN PUBLIC.............end of story..................
i will spell it out for you oneyevic..............IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO CARRY FIREARMS IN PUBLIC.............end of story..................
Once again you seem to be confused.
Although it is illegal in this case, the statement you made is not true. It is not an offence to carry a firearm in public.
He was also not intending to use this gun and it was accepted that it was not his. He also went to the police voluntarily.
Presumably, you would be happier if he threw the gun in the local skip for someone else to pick up?
Once again you seem to be confused.
Although it is illegal in this case, the statement you made is not true. It is not an offence to carry a firearm in public.
He was also not intending to use this gun and it was accepted that it was not his. He also went to the police voluntarily.
Presumably, you would be happier if he threw the gun in the local skip for someone else to pick up?
I can see what the others are saying Vic but I reckon you're right on this one. Lots of things could have happenned but they did not, he turned in the gun incident free, suspended sentence probally should have resulted. I'll stick my neck out here and say if he'd have handed it in not loaded that's probably what he would have got. If he'd had just called the police and got them to come round it would have been safer but hey he doesn't sound like he's thinking totally straight!
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