Smethwick pub gunman gets 10 years

Jason Warner blasted the weapon to warn off a gang he had been involved in a scuffle with inside the doorway of the Queens Arms.

Another man had been shot in the thigh inside the pub seconds before Warner grabbed the gun and ran outside, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Mr Paul Spratt said the defendant had been in the pub with a friend when trouble flared in a corridor leading to an exit.

"During that time a gun was produced and was discharged, injuring a man in the thigh. This defendant then managed to take hold of the firearm, left through the door and was then seen brandishing it in the direction of the people in the corridor," explained Mr Spratt.

"Another person came out and the defendant retreated and discharged the gun three times up into the air."

The court was told during yesterday's hearing that Warner, aged 32, of Rear View Drive, Great Barr, was arrested three months after the incident, which happened at the Heath Street venue on April 4 last year.

Warner admitted possession of a firearm with intent.

The court heard he had 28 previous convictions, including for possession of ammunition. Miss Geraldine Toal, defending, said her client accepted that he had acted "extremely recklessly".

Judge John Warner jailed him for 10 years and extended the licence period for an extra five years.