Coventry man jailed for firing BB gun at girl during argument
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2017 7:15 pm
He pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm and common assault
A young Coventry man put a gun to the head of a girl who had been involved in an argument with his girlfriend – and then fired at her as he drove away from the scene.
Luckily, although Samuel Roberts’ terrified victim did not realise at the time, it was only a CO2-powered BB replica of a Walther PPK pistol, Coventry Crown Court has heard .
Roberts had pleaded guilty to possessing the imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, but denied common assault on the girl, blaming his girlfriend for firing the gun.
But on the day he was to stand trial, he finally pleaded guilty to the assault charge, accepting he had fired it at her.
Roberts, 20, of Manhattan Way, Tile Hill, Coventry, was jailed for 18 months by Judge Philip Gregory, who also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the gun.
Jailing Roberts, Judge Gregory told him: “I have to deal with you for an extremely serious incident.
“You engineered a meeting with a 16-year-old girl in the street outside a shop, intending to force an apology out of her for something she had said on social media.
“You took with you an imitation firearm, and when you did not get the apology you wanted, you held that gun to her head. She had no reason to know it was only an imitation gun.
“You then made off in that car, and as you drove away you fired a number of shots.
“Anybody who takes out onto the street an imitation firearm with the intent to cause people to believe it’s real, and to be frightened by it, will lose their liberty.”
