Published date: 18 January 2016 |
A MAN at the centre of a two-hour siege at his home had earlier shot a loaded shotgun on the busy housing estate where he lived.
Undercover police – on the Caia Park Estate at Wrexham as part of another investigation – initially saw Matthew Mackenzie, 26, point a firearm across a river at a group of men who all scattered.
They watched as he then fired a shot at some trees, scattering birds, on a grassed area regularly used by young children.
Armed police were called out and when uniformed officers went to his home at Coed Aben, he appeared at the door looking shocked.
It was alleged by the prosecution that he was holding the stock of the gun which by that stage had been dismantled – but he denied that.
Mackenzie locked himself in and over the following two hours made various threats to kill himself.
Earlier stories:
- Wrexham man arrested for possession of firearm following stand off with police
- Man admits to possessing loaded shotgun on Caia Park estate
Extra police were drafted in and the area was cordoned off and evacuated.
But Mold Crown Court was told that, after negotiations, he later left the house voluntarily and was arrested.
Mackenzie admitted possessing a loaded single barreled shotgun on December 16 and possessing it when prohibited because of his previous convictions.
Sentence was adjourned after a CCTV film of the defendant shooting the gun failed to play on the court equipment.
The judge, Mr Recorder Richard Williams, indicated that the defendant may need to be called to give evidence about his version of events before he was sentenced.
“It is important that you are sentenced on the correct factual basis,” he told Mackenzie.
The defence would need to take his full instructions on the full entirety of what was on the video and had further enquiries to make.
Prosecutor David Mainstone said that at 1.20 p.m. that day, a number of North Wales Police surveillance officers were on the estate and one of them at Gwenfro saw the defendant walking towards the Queensway Leisure Complex carrying a shotgun.
He was seen to point the shotgun at a group of men on a grassed area the other side of the river and they immediately scattered.
Mackenzie continued to walk across the grassed area – regularly used by residents and young children – and another officer saw him load the gun and shoot towards trees causing birds to rise up in alarm.
Mackenzie was located at his home by uniformed officers and when he answered the door it was alleged that he was holding the stock of the gun – it seemed by that stage that it had been dismantled.
The barrel was later recovered behind a garden shed and the stock was later found under a piece of wood in the attic.
“When he saw the officers he was shocked and immediately closed the door and refused to come out,” Mr Mainstone explained.
Over a two-hour period, police spoke to him, tried to calm him down and tried to persuade him to give himself up.
At one stage he held a knife to his throat and said he wanted to end it all. He made further threats to slit his wrists and simulated doing so. He had two knives.
He threatened to turn the gas on and blow the house up and during the negotiations he was seen to have consumed four cans of lager and was said to be “irrational and unpredictable”.
The defendant told police that if he was able to speak to a particular person then he would give himself up, the arrangements were made and he came out of the property without any weapons and allowed police to arrest him.
Mr Mainstone said the shotgun was fully operational and had been stolen in a burglary three years earlier.
Mackenzie claimed he bought it that day but refused to say where he got it. He made no comment in interview.
The court heard that he had previous convictions for 47 offences and had been sentenced to 43 months in custody in 2006 for robbery which meant he was prohibited from possessing any kind of firearm.
In a basis of plea, he said his intention was to shoot rabbits and said he only had one cartridge.
He had purchased the weapon that day but he denied that he was holding the stock of the gun when he first answered the door.
Paul Abrahams said his client accepted his possession of the weapon was unlawful.
He said that the surveillance officers were present for a completely unrelated matter, nothing to do with his client.
The judge said it was the defendant’s bad luck that they were there and witnessed what occurred.
Mackenzie was remanded in custody until February 28.
see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/157321/siege-man-fired-loaded-shotgun-on-busy-estate-in-wrexham-court-told.aspx
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