Rhyl man jailed for firing gun in taxiA MAN in a rage following a row in a wine bar got a taxi to go and pick up a sawn-off shotgun.
Barry Guy got back into the taxi, but as he fumbled with the gun he fired it accidentally, blasting a hole in the seat and floor.
A judge warned Guy, 31, that if the weapon had been held inches higher he could have killed the driver.
Guy then went into two clubs looking for his intended victim – and in the second, brandished the double-barrelled shotgun.
Guy of Clos Tegfan, Rhyl, then fled Rhyl but was arrested later at Glasgow airport.
Yesterday he was jailed for six and a half years after he admitted possessing a prohibited weapon, and possessing it with intent to cause fear of violence, during the early hours of July 23.
Judge Nicolas Parry said it was only by a grace of God that no serious injuries were caused.
Mold Crown Court, sitting in Chester, heard that Guy called an ex-partner and asked her to go the Plough in St Asaph for a catch-up.
They were with friends, he bought champagne and wine and then they went to a bar in Prestatyn.
After a phone call he was annoyed, went outside and got a taxi driven by Grant Ellerman.
Guy jumped in, told Mr Ellerman “drive” and “get me to Meliden”.
During the journey he told him to “boot it to Dyserth.”
He was “sick of everyone around here”, and sick of being bullied.
The taxi stopped in Dyserth, the defendant walked towards a housing estate and returned, telling him to drive back to the wine bar.
He was handling something wrapped in a pink towel.
Prosecutor Gareth Preston said Guy tried to put the gun in his trousers and then went to put it on the seat.
“Presumably through his inept handling it was discharged,” he said.
Guy apologised, said he had been trying to operate the safety catch and he would pay for the damage.
He then put the gun in his coat and ran into a lane. The driver was told to wait but drove off.
Guy got a second taxi to the Zu Bar in Rhyl where there were 150 people. He was aggressive, and brandished the gun.
Five days later he was arrested at Glasgow airport.
Detective Sergeant Mark Abbott of St Asaph CID last night welcomed the sentence.
He said: “This was a complex investigation. Extensive police inquiries were undertaken which led to the arrest of 31-year-old Guy.
“North Wales Police are intent on ensuring that individuals who commit such serious crimes are brought to justice and today’s outcome is testimony to this.”
Detective Inspector Jo Williams said it was sheer luck no one was injured. She added: “Guy is a violent individual. The effect that this incident has had on those who were confronted by Guy cannot be underestimated and we would like to thank the courageous individuals who helped police in this inquiry.”
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