Point a RIF, get 4 years in pokey.

[Rogerborg]

Not posted in airsoft news as we don't know for sure what it was, but in case you're ever minded to waggle your weapon in public, it could get you significant custody.

It's a surprisingly harsh sentence considering that causing actual bodily harm rather than scared feels will typically get you less, but it does highlight just how hard UK courts can come down on anything that even looks like a shooter.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

i guess the harshness of the sentence is to do with the apparent lack of aggravation, at least if i've read that right (and being the media that what's written is right).

perhaps it'd be different for example if there was some kind of justification for the threat.

regardless, it's a stupid thing to do.

 

[Rogerborg]

It is idiotic, but 4 years worth of custody?  Bear in mind that's after a 1/3rd reduction for the guilty plea, so the judge actually set the tariff at six years for a moment of madness that hurt no one.  You can get less than that for committing a series of armed robberies with actual violence.

That's a puzzler, and not entirely unconcerning for those of us living in England's northern province.  Sure, don't do the crime and you won't do the time, but you can do the time (or come very close) up here regardless, given that Scotchplod, the Fiscal and the courts have a rager for doing armed responses and prosecutions on airsofters , and worse, for bright orange non-realistic IFs that even the arresting constable describes as "obviously a toy plastic gun".

 

[Jedi_Master]

The offender was a cockwomble, and gets no sympathy.  What is wrong with the legal system is the low sentences given/served for more serious crimes.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

The offender was a cockwomble, and gets no sympathy.  What is wrong with the legal system is the low sentences given/served for more serious crimes.

I think just lack of consistency seems to be the thing. Sentencing seems to be entirely down to what side of bed the judge got out of in the morning.

 

[Rogerborg]

I think just lack of consistency seems to be the thing. Sentencing seems to be entirely down to what side of bed the judge got out of in the morning.

Bingo.

Go on an actual shooting spree with a paintball gun, including a pretty much identical situation: "The terrified driver put his head down when he thought Rasmussen had a gun".  Admit 7 charges, get 18 months (27 less the guilty plea).

http://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/16320973.clydebank-man-anthony-rasmussen-jailed-for-18-months-after-paintball-gun-rampage/

The only difference that I can see is that the 4 year cockwomble didn't discharge whatever he was holding, leaving the victim unsure of whether it was real or not.  What's the message there?  If you do ever go mental and point an airsoft / airgun RIF at someone, make sure that it's loaded and you pull the trigger so that they know it wasn't real? 

 

[Tommikka]

It is idiotic, but 4 years worth of custody?  Bear in mind that's after a 1/3rd reduction for the guilty plea, so the judge actually set the tariff at six years for a moment of madness that hurt no one.  You can get less than that for committing a series of armed robberies with actual violence.

That's a puzzler, and not entirely unconcerning for those of us living in England's northern province.  Sure, don't do the crime and you won't do the time, but you can do the time (or come very close) up here regardless, given that Scotchplod, the Fiscal and the courts have a rager for doing armed responses and prosecutions on airsofters , and worse, for bright orange non-realistic IFs that even the arresting constable describes as "obviously a toy plastic gun".

The first Scottish case on Facebook photos apparantly had an underlying factor (possibly a personal grudge against the player)





The 2 tone IF was due to location and lack of ‘lawful excuse’ to have it in public.  Being homeless the guy didn’t have many options to store it, and didn’t come up with a good reason

for having it.

In the current car it’s not necessarily the brandishing of the disappearing pistol, but also attempting to deceive and deny involvement - disappearing from the scene, dumping and ‘vandalising the car’, (making it appear to be stolen), hiding keys at home, and the pistol disappearing (it may have been a RIF, but it could have been anything - RIF, deactivated pistol,  blank firer, airgun, starter pistol, real pistol ....)

Not purely waving a RIF and being a dick

 

[Rogerborg]

The first Scottish case on Facebook photos apparantly had an underlying factor (possibly a personal grudge against the player) 

I do suspect some malice behind the original cause for action, but the response from the police, Fiscal, and even the sheriff was off the scale bananas.  If the chap's brief hadn't got him off on a technicality, he would have (according to the sheriff) been convicted and looking at prison time for posting the same sort of pictures that can be found on this very forum.

In the current car it’s not necessarily the brandishing of the disappearing pistol, but also attempting to deceive and deny involvement - disappearing from the scene, dumping and ‘vandalising the car’, (making it appear to be stolen), hiding keys at home, and the pistol disappearing

I can't see any report that there was a separate charge of perverting the course of justice, but if that's been glossed over by lazy journos (apologies for the redundancy), it would help to explain the sentence.

The salient point remains: be very careful with any IF, realistic or otherwise.  A moment's complacency, malice or misplaced joke could get you a stern fingering from the State.

 

[Tommikka]

.....

I can't see any report that there was a separate charge of perverting the course of justice, but if that's been glossed over by lazy journos (apologies for the redundancy), it would help to explain the sentence.....

The salient point remains: be very careful with any IF, realistic or otherwise.....

That BBC articles content is very limited in and only refers to the keys being found in the tumble drier.

Other articles give a bit more on what happened, certainly not an accidental ‘reveal’ of a RIF, but a deliberate threat and no co-operation by Farrell so it’s an incident with the gun not found and no apparent motive.

At the moment there isn’t a court transcript online, but it may be up after sentencing etc

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/crime/four-years-in-prison-for-bonnybridge-gunman-1-4790878

https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/yob-pointed-gun-terrified-motorist-14799199.amp

Final point - yes.  There’s more to “don’t be a dick” then people realise, but anyone acting like Farrell deserves what the legal system throws

at them

 

[Rogerborg]

Recidivist armed bank robber gets 8 1/2 years for separate offences of robbery and possession:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-45342083

Contrast with Farrell's 6 years for what was apparently a first offence, and Rasmussen's 27 months for a spree.  What the legal system throws at non-shooty shooter offenders seems to be a random handful of punishment.

There may well be more to it, but on the reported facts it's a puzzling spread of sentencing.

In case you think I'm soft on crime, soft on the causes of crime, If I were despot for the day, I'd have gone:

Bank robber: execution.  Nothing of value will be lost.

Farrel: flogging, and forced labour to pay for compensation to the victim.

Rasmussen: flogging, forced labour to pay for compensation to the victims, then transportation to Liberia.  With some flogging on the way.

But I'd run my reign of terror consistently.

 

[Rogerborg]

Bloke kicks off, assaults coppers, brandishes an imitation firearm at them, then leads them on a car chase.

Penalty: 15 months suspended for the RIF, and 6 months suspended for attempting to escape.

https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/hertford-man-made-two-police-1923161

Spin the wheel-o'-justice, roll up, roll up, place yer bets.

 

[Prisce]

That happened just down the road from me.

 

[Jester_UK]

Had a kickboxing instructor here in Kingsbridge South Devon who was teaching a junior class at the local leisure centre. He decided his students weren't training hard enough so he told his son to get his aeg from the car and he started hosing down his students with it! Obviously no protection involved. Mad thing is he got away pretty much scot free. He dodged the assault charges and I think was prosecuted for possession of an imitation firearm.

http://www.kingsbridge-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=111029&headline=Martial arts instructor 'shot at children', court told&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2018

http://www.southhams-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=111104&headline='Over-excited' kickboxer escapes punishment&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2018

He is a complete cock and is in no way connected with airsoft and he lives 2 doors down from me. I study karate and Sheridan has a grudge against my sensei as he only teaches 'combat karate'  whatever the fuck that is and thinks proper karate involving Kata and the spiritual side of the art is for girls.  As a result he completely blanks me which is fine by me as I can't be bothered with him lol.

 

[Rogerborg]

is in no way connected with airsoft

Then I hope the police looked into who sold him a RIF.  What an utter and complete fuckknuckle, peppering 10 year olds just to be the Big Man.

 

[Jester_UK]

Probably not. My sensei is also the local PCSO so I got to hear a lot of stuff that didn't make it into the papers such as allegations that Sheridans mates had been threatening some of the parents to make them withdraw their complaints. 

Problem is it's easy to get used airsoft guns. I have just had my first airsoft game and when I posted some questions up on a Facebook page before going I had a few guys pm me offering to sell me rifles. Admittedly I did buy one and the guy was happy to sell without UKARA as my defence was that I showed a genuine interest in airsoft. As it happens I served in the TA in the 80s so am up on safety and responsible use but you also have complete cocks like Sheridan who could do the same thing.

As well as the rif when the police raided his house they found crossbow and knives with blades over the legal length.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

As well as the rif when the police raided his house they found crossbow and knives with blades over the legal length.

But there is no "legal length" for knives and afaik crossbows arent licensed weapons anywhere in the uk.

 

[Prisce]

I am not a fan of this “Licence” BS. It doesn’t work. Don’t have time to really go into my every view point of this at the moment, but let’s simplify it.

If you treat everyone as the absolute fecking moron they are, and licence everything they can lick or shove up there arse, all your doing is punishing the people who use said items legally.

A car is a far more dangerous weapon than a gun/knife/crossbow/iron bar/mars bar (wtf people use nowadays) and you will never be able to convince the world that people should be licensed before being able to buy a car.

Worse than that, anyone with 1/4 brain cell can build/create/see/learn to make something more deadly than a poxy gun.

Heck, A level chemists get taught how to make TNT and Crystal Meth! 

My solution: Shoot stupid non-law abiding retards in the face. Twice. 

No time at all for scum.

 

[Jester_UK]

T

But there is no "legal length" for knives and afaik crossbows arent licensed weapons anywhere in the uk.

The fact that he had his rifle in his car then I suspect he also carries knives around on him or in his car which does have rules  on blade length etc. As far as I know he had no valid reason for having the stuff found in his house and bearing in mind his behaviour with the rifle he probably shouldn't be allowed to have them. 

 

[Adolf Hamster]

T

The fact that he had his rifle in his car then I suspect he also carries knives around on him or in his car which does have rules  on blade length etc. As far as I know he had no valid reason for having the stuff found in his house and bearing in mind his behaviour with the rifle he probably shouldn't be allowed to have them. 

Aye maybe if he had em on him without good cause, but in the house is a different story.

 

[Jester_UK]

Aye maybe if he had em on him without good cause, but in the house is a different story.

Aye maybe if he had em on him without good cause, but in the house is a different story.

The police had intelligence on him for suspicion of drug dealing and has previous convictions for assault here and when he lived in Ireland so everything was confiscated and destroyed. I live two doors down from the guy and he doesn't like me. Kingsbridge is a small town and there is plenty of info around about him including him encouraging his mates to threaten some of the parents to withdraw their complaints and a couple of parents did. The people involved were cautioned by the police as that was all they could do and they of course denied any encouragement from Sheridan. I'm not saying nobody should be allowed to own these things in their own home and if he hadn't been a twat with the rifle he would still have them. What happened with the rifle fits in with his character. He likes to be known as a big man who beats people up as I have heard him boasting about various pub fights he's been and how he's beat people unconscious to my neighbour. He is not mentally all there and shouldn't have zombie killer knives, bayonets and crossbows because if he loses his temper what's to stop him using them like the rifle.