A sawn-off shotgun was discovered inside a man bag after police spotted a gang of teens ‘running for their lives’ away from a fish and chip shop, a court heard. Mason Hoey and David McDonald vaulted over garden fences in a ‘frantic’ bid to escape, a judge was told.
The loaded firearm was then found hidden inside the bag, which they had stashed in a wheelie bin. Both Hoey and McDonald were both just 17 at the time. A judge who has now jailed them said the gun ‘was not simply a weapon being carried to frighten’.
Liverpool Crown Court heard police officers were on patrol in the Walton area of Liverpool on the evening of June 16, 2023, ‘due to ongoing tensions in the area’ and as part of efforts to ‘disrupt organised crime’. At around 8.45pm, uniformed PCs were travelling along Willowdale Road in an unmarked car when they saw three males outside CK Wai Fish and Chips.
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David Watson, prosecuting, described how the group then ‘ran for their lives in a frantic, desperate manner’ as the vehicle approached. They were chased into an alleyway off Cedardale Road, with Hoey identified via his ‘distinctive’ hairstyle, McDonald seen in all black clothing and a third teenager, 19-year-old Alfie Logan, spotted carrying the man bag.
Members of the public reported seeing the three “garden hopping” over the fences of backyards before making their way to the rear of Parkinson Road and Fazakerley Road. Both Hoey and Logan, the latter of whom would ultimately be cleared of possessing the firearm by a jury following a trial, were arrested, where the bag was found hidden in a wheelie bin.
It contained a gas-powered air gun and a 12-gauge, smooth-bore, pump action shotgun, loaded with three cartridges. The firearm was subsequently found to be “fully operational” and “ready for use”, with the barrel and stock both having been shortened in order to “conceal it being carried”
Logan, of Rosalind Way in Kirkdale, was also found in possession of a balaclava, three gloves and a large quantity of cash. McDonald, of Jones Farm Road in Belle Vale, was detained nearby Grey Road. The now 19-year-old’s DNA, reports The Echo, was subsequently recovered from “various parts of the weapon”.
Daniel Travers, defending McDonald, told the court: “The defendant’s antecedents are disappointing for a young man, but there has been a change. He has not committed any offence since June 2023. He has been in a stable relationship with his partner for almost two years. Just after he was remanded, they had a child together. This is a young man, albeit a young man who now has responsibilities. He has got the opportunity to set up home with his partner and their child.
“For his first time in custody, he is doing everything he can. The hope is that this is a young man who is going to do better for himself, as he is capable of.”
Rebecca Penfold, for Hoey, added on his behalf: “The harsh reality is that this young man has engaged in such positive work in the time that there has been a delay to this hearing. He has moved away from the area. He has moved away from any form of criminality. Sadly, all of that will now come to an end. He has his own learning difficulties. This is a young man who is now going to face a huge change in his life. He has shown that he is capable of a different life and very different actions.”
Both defendants admitted possession of a sawn-off shotgun. McDonald was handed four years in a young offenders’ institute, while Hoey got three years.
Sentencing, Judge Gary Woodhall said: “Upon seeing the officers, you three immediately ran. You were described as running for your lives. You were frantic and desperate. That is because you knew what you had in your possession. This was a loaded weapon being carried for no legitimate purpose. This was not simply a weapon being carried to frighten. There were cartridges loaded within the weapon.”
