Teenager who pointed gun at court enforcement officer is locked up

Robbie Williams had already threatened Shane Senior with a cricket bat, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Trouble flared when the official arrived at the family home in Leamore Lane, Bloxwich to claim £500 of goods to settle unpaid court costs and fines run up by the 19-year-old, who had three previous convictions.

The teenager’s mother answered the front door to Mr Senior around lunch time on April 10 but told him her son was not at home and she had no idea where he was, said Mr Mark Phillips, prosecuting.

Mr Senior explained he had come to execute a warrant issued by the magistrates court that allowed him to remove items to the value of £500 from the address.

Then, as the conversation threatened to turn ugly, Williams rushed downstairs and into view.

He was holding a cricket bat above his head and started to swinging it in the direction of the enforcement officer with the intention of forcing him to leave empty handed, continued the prosecutor.

When that failed he went into the house and appeared moments later at an upstairs window clutching what appeared to be a black revolver.

He pointed it at Mr Senior and ordered him to go away.

The official was not in a position to see if the weapon was dangerous and demanded: ‘Is that a real gun or not?’

When the question went answered he took cover and alerted police to the increasingly alarming situation.

Armed officers went to the scene and arrested Williams without a struggle.

A search of the address unearthed the cricket bat and an air pistol which was the gun being held by him when he appeared at the window. It was not loaded and nobody was injured during the confrontation.

Miss Nicole Steers, defending, maintained: “He is very protective of his mother. He thought the officer was being too forceful and that is why he reacted in this way.”

She continued: “As a schoolboy he was a nuisance to many people but now he is an adult and a different person..”

Williams admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent and affray and was given eight months detention in a Young Offenders Institution.

Judge Abbas Mithani QC told him: “You pointed a black handgun at the enforcement officer. He was terrified and feared his life would be endangered if the gun was fired. This was an appalling offence.”