Liam Campbell, aged 22, has been jailed for 22 years after being found guilty of attempted murder and possession of a firearm and ammunition, and pleading guilty to causing actual bodily harm. During a row at a pub in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in December 2022, Campbell threw glasses at two brothers, hitting and knocking out their sister who was standing nearby. Campbell and his co-defendant, 25-year-old Charlie Kettle, then confronted the two men outside and, after Kettle encouraged him to shoot, Campbell fired two shots from a converted blank pistol at them. The assailants fled the scene but were arrested the following month. The gun has not been recovered. Kettle was jailed for eight-and-a-half years after being found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Shaun Wakefield , aged 47, has been jailed for four years and eight months after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, arson and criminal damage. In April 2023, Wakefield threatened to kill his wife and set fire to their flat in Newport, South Wales. His wife fled to a neighbour's flat but Wakefield broke in and was fought off. He went on to brandish an air rifle at responding police officers and members of the public outside, forcing them to take cover. He then fired at a police car and at one officer, missing his target. The court heard that Wakefield, who has depression and psychosis, had smoked two cannabis joints before the incident and had not been taking his prescribed medication. Intending to take his own life, he had wielded the air rifle so police would “shoot him dead”.

It has emerged that a man was fatally shot in a field in Bretby, Derbyshire in January 2024. A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. A police spokesperson confirmed that the two men were known to each other.

Kevin Murphy, aged 55, has been jailed for five years and seven months after admitting possession of a firearm and ammunition. Following a tip-off in June 2023, police officers searched a wooded area in Bootle, Merseyside and recovered a buried handgun. The firearm, a Turkish-made Retay blank-firing gun, had been converted into a viable weapon. Ammunition was also discovered, including eight GFL 8mm calibre bullets (converted from blanks by attaching ball bearings), thirteen converted GFL bullets and two YAS Gold bullets. Of this stash, only the gold bullets were potentially compatible with the firearm, although they were believed to be defective. Murphy was arrested after his DNA was found on a trowel found at the scene and on the internal parts of the firearm. Pictures found on his phone included that of a Makarov self-loading pistol, a silencer and ammunition. Murphy claimed his dog had dug up the weapon during a walk in the woods but, on sentencing, the judge said he was “…in all likelihood, being used to mind this gun on behalf of someone else”.

Nearby homes were evacuated while police officers recovered suspect items from a property in Glasgow, Scotland. A man was subsequently charged for offences under the Explosive Substances Act, the Firearms Act and Misuse of Drugs Act.

Carl Taylor, aged 32, has been handed a suspended ten-month prison term and ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid community work and ten days of rehabilitation activities after admitting possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. In March 2022, Taylor aimed a BB gun through the window of a pub in Exeter, Devon after being asked to leave for inappropriate behaviour towards staff. Police officers arrested Taylor nearby and recovered a .177 single shot, air-powered BB pistol from his home address. The court heard that one worker remained at the pub overnight because she was too frightened to go home.

Police officers recovered a gun while searching an area in Newark, Nottinghamshire. A man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm without a certificate.

Jamie Oakes has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after being convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon. In May 2023, Oakes and a woman assaulted a member of his staff after accusing him of stealing dirt bikes and quad bikes. Oakes went on to pull the trigger of a blank-firing pistol close to the man's face, causing a burn injury. He also threatened to shoot the victim with a shotgun and made threats to his family. The attack took place at Oakes’ home in Dartford, Kent, from where police officers subsequently recovered a baseball bat, a large knife, knuckle dusters, a case for a blank-firing pistol, 9mm blank firing bullets, two air rifles and three shotgun cartridges. Eight shotgun cartridges were found inside a wardrobe at another address.

Staff and diners were left shaken after a shot was fired through the front window of a restaurant in Bracknell, Berkshire. A waiter was cut on his cheek by broken glass. No arrests have yet been reported.

Armed police officers and dog handlers were deployed following reports of a man with a firearm in a residential area of  Sheffield, South Yorkshire. No arrests have been reported.