Having a hot debate in our house about this one at the moment (don't
know any further background at the moment) -
http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=edponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED25%20Jul%202005%2020%3A40%3A42%3A810
Estate shotgun man is jailed
RICHARD BALLS
25 July 2005 20:38
estate was jailed for six years today, after he fired a sawn-off
shotgun at them.
Jack Rylance exploded at 12-15 youngsters congregating around the
flats complex where he lived, throwing a firework, hitting one with
the flat part of a machete and blasting a shot from a shotgun as he
stood on a balcony.
The youths had plagued him and his neighbours, urinating on stairs,
covering garages in graffiti and doing other criminal damage in the
Hillington Court area.
But Mr Recorder Ian Foster told Rylance at Norwich Crown Court that
that was no excuse, and jailed him for a total of six years.
told him.
Rylance admitted possessing a firearm and ammunition without a
certificate and also affray.
Guy Ayers, prosecuting, said it all started as Rylance stood on the
balcony outside his flat at Greyfriars House watching a group of
youths below in what is known locally as the Mill Fleet.
Without provocation, he hurled a Thunder Flash firework down at them
and went back inside.
Some of the group went from door to door trying to establish from
which flat the firework had been thrown and one eventually confronted
Rylance and asked him why he had done it.
Shortly afterwards he was seen on the balcony carrying what appeared
to be a machete in a carrier bag, swore at them and pursued and
confronted them. He hit one on the upper part of his body with the
flat part of the blade.
A neighbour later saw him on the balcony complaining about youths
urinating and vomiting on the stairs and watched in horror as he
opened a sawn-off shotgun, loaded and fired it at them.
She then turned to go back inside and heard Rylance saying, 'You
On the evening in question Rylance phoned the police twice to complain
about the youths.
their reaction was to run upstairs towards his flat, with two of them
brandishing bottles.
As he chased after them, two were urinating on the stairway.
He also stressed that the cartridge discharged from the sawn-off gun
had been filled with salt and that he normally used the weapon for
shooting at crows and magpies at a farm where he got work.
which was subjected to graffiti and damage. They would set fire to
property in the area and use the balcony as a look-out so they would
be able to see if the police were on their way.
he could get anything done. The problem remained and for several years
his life had been made hell and he was at his wits end.
criminal thing to do and for which he will be punished severely. But I
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