Wigan man jailed for firing shotgun in house

A man has been jailed for 40 months after threatening someone with a shotgun, before discharging the weapon into a ceiling.

David Farrington (04/03/1956), of Heath Street, Golborne, was sentenced yesterday at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence following a firearms discharge on his street on 9 December last year (2023).

During the incident, Farrington, who had gone to a house to complain about music, pointed the weapon at a man before a brief scuffle ensued. During this, the shotgun was discharged into the ceiling of the property.

Officers responded and Farrington, who was a registered firearms holder, was subsequently arrested.

The shotgun was subsequently seized, and during a search of his house, a further shotgun and several cartridges were found.

In addition to his sentence, Farrington was ordered to forfeit his ammunition and firearms, and is banned from possessing a firearms license. He was additionally ordered to pay £228 costs.

Detective Constable Riyaz Patel from Wigan CID said: “Farrington committed a very serious firearms discharge as a registered firearms holder, who should have known his responsibilities.

“I hope the sentenced imposed by the courts give the victim closure and shows that the police will investigate serious crime vigorously. Officers will always work thoroughly and diligently to punish those responsible for violent crimes in our communities.” Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Greatest Hits Radio app.

• #Wigan