Northwich man sentenced after admitting firearms and criminal damage offences

A man from Northwich has been sentenced for firearms offences and criminal damage.

Robert McNally appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 5 December to be sentenced after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and criminal damage.

The 43-year-old of Burgess Place in Northwich, was sentenced to a month in prison and was handed a deprivation order preventing him from owning a pistol, carbon dioxide canister and pellet ammunition.

At 2.08pm on Monday 8 July McNally called police telling them he was feeling violent after being discharged from hospital and had a gun. He also said he had ammunition.

Response and firearms officers attended McNally’s home on Burgess Place, Northwich, and a cordon was put in place while they tried to negotiate with him.

McNally was extremely agitated and refused to comply with officers negotiating with him.

Armed officers warned him of their presence, and he was instructed to come to the front door empty handed with his hands on his head.

Despite the warning, McNally then appeared in the back garden brandishing a silver pistol in his left hand.

He pointed it upwards before throwing a large torch in the direction of two firearms officers who were at the rear of the property using a car as hard cover. The torch hit the police car causing minor damage.

McNally then re-entered his address before coming back out and aiming the pistol at two firearms officers over the garden gate.

One single shot was fired through the garden gate by one of the officers towards McNally which did not strike him.

The officers stationed at the front of the property, then entered the address and used distraction devices by throwing them into the sitting room. They then moved towards the kitchen door, but McNally tried to wedge it closed.

A further distraction device was thrown through the glass in the kitchen door. Officers then entered the kitchen shouting warnings to McNally ordering him to stand still and put the gun on the floor.

McNally was crouched in the corner of the kitchen with the pistol in his right hand pointing it upwards. He then lowered his hand and put the gun on the floor. He was subsequently arrested.

After his arrest, the weapon was found to be a gas-powered BB gun.

DC Sarah Ollier said:

“McNally put himself and the officers in a very dangerous position, causing officers enough concern that a shot had to be fired.

“Thankfully, officers were able to bring the incident to safe conclusion, meaning that nobody was injured, and McNally was successfully arrested.

“However, the outcome could have been far worse.

“I understand the concern among residents at the time of the incident that several shots had been fired, but it was actually the sound of the distraction devices that helped officers to get into the house and bring the incident to a safe conclusion for everyone.”