Man who waved gun in street and pointed it 'recklessly' gets five-year jail sentence

Martin Macdonald, 42, of Station Road, Stetchford, has been jailed for more than five years after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Macdonald appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on April 17, where he pleaded guilty to the charges after being seen wielding the weapon in public.

Firearms officers swiftly attended the scene on Lyttleton Road, Stechford, on November 1, after they received a call from the a member of the public. Macdonald was detained at the scene.

After an investigation by the Major Crime Team, he was handed a five-year and one month sentence, as police said his "reckless" actions could have had far more tragic consequences.

DC Ryan Stokes of the team said: "I would like to thank the West Midlands Police firearms officers whose prompt intervention removed this threat from the community.

"These reckless actions, if not intercepted, could have developed into a more tragic investigation.

"This case displayed criminal intent of the highest nature and for that, justice has been served. A split-second decision can destroy lives and rip families apart along with communities.

"We continue our fight in removing all illegal firearms from our streets."

The force said it is currently running Operation Target in a move to crackdown on firearms offences.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "We're currently running Operation Target which sees us take a defiant stand against a range of serious and organised crime offences."