Man shouted to police ‘I’ve a gun and I will shoot you’ during town rooftop stand-off
HE THREW TILES AT OFFICERS AND SMASHED WINDOW AT THE HOME OF 100-YEAR-OLD WOMAN
A GRIMSBY man who claimed he had a gun escaped from a police cordon in a rooftop stand-off.
Christopher London, 34, of Watford Avenue, admitted affray on Lily Mews off Werneth Road, Grimsby on May 13. He threatened to shoot police in the 25 minute stand-off after a row with his former partner.
He also admitted possession of cocaine and being in breach of a suspended sentence for driving while disqualified. Prosecuting at Grimsby Crown Court, Hannah Turner said police were called to Lily Mews at around 6pm on May 13 after a row spilled over.
Police arrived and alerted London that they had tasers. He shouted from upstairs at the police officers: “I have a gun and I will shoot you.” He made his way into the attic of the property and from there on to a roof. While on the roof he lobbed tiles at police officers and shouted: “Trust me I have a 9mm and a shotgun. I promise I will let this gun off.”
Miss Turner said police surrounded the property but he leapt down and ran into a resident’s garden. He tried to get into her house through the back door but it was locked. He then scaled a number of garden fences and fled.
The prosecutor said one of the neighbours affected was a 100-year-old woman. A window to her home was shattered when London began lobbing tiles. Police arrested London two days later at an address in Welholme Road where police found a small amount of cocaine. Miss Turner said the defendant had 34 previous convictions for 86 offences.
For London, Dale Brook said his client, who was intoxicated after drinking alcohol, had panicked when police said they had tasers. He said his client did not have a firearm. He added his client was ashamed of what he did and particularly ashamed of the damage caused to the window of the elderly lady.
Sentencing London to 12 months in prison for the affray offence and a further 12 weeks for the breach of the suspended sentence, Judge Mark Bury said the defendant could have answered the door to the police in a civil fashion. “Because you were under the influence of alcohol you behaved outrageously. You had a police marker for firearms and the police worked on the basis that you had a gun,” said the judge.
He added the defendant had a lot to look forward to if he stayed off drugs and drink.