Man shot at BT van near Newport after its flashing lights woke him up

A man who fired an air gun at a British Telecom van near Newport after its flashing lights woke him up has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Kelvin James Simpson was woken up by the van so decided to shoot it "as a joke".

Simpson, of Kings Avenue, Market Drayton, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court where he admitted causing criminal damage to a Ford Transit van, possession of a disguised firearm and firing an air weapon beyond the boundary of premises.

Judge Jim Tindal gave the 22-year-old a two-year sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid work – but said he came close to going straight to prison.

A police armed containment unit and negotiator was sent to an address in Howle, near Newport, in the early hours of December 8, 2016, when BT workers realised their van had been targeted.

Richard McConaghy, prosecuting, said the van was parked outside the house Simpson was living in at the time and that in the hour leading up to 12.30am, the BT workers heard noises and ricochets.

"They didn't think they had been shot at because they didn't believe something like that would actually happen, but they could see two people in an upstairs window," he added.

"Once they left they could see that the headlight and the beacon had been shot out, also that there was damage to the driver side rear wing.

"Mr Simpson said in relation to the shooting that he had been woken up and was annoyed with the flashing vehicle. He said that he shot the van as a joke."

The court was told a taser disguised as a police torch, belonging to Mr Simpson, was also found under the kitchen sink.

However, it was not charged and Mr Simpson has no means of charging it.

Paul Smith, defending, said: "If anyone stole it (the taser), it would be useless. He has a job, is working and I don't think prison space is being well used with people like Kelvin Simpson."

Judge Tindal told Mr Simpson he had acted like a child and was imposing the maximum community order available to him.

He said: "You're a young man who works and with only one dissimilar conviction. If I sent you to prison it would be as a deterrent but in doing that, it would cause you to lose your job and other circumstances to fall down as well.

"You acted like an idiotic adult an you have to be very well aware of how close you got to going to prison. You will go there if you come back to this court."

He ordered the weapons to be destroyed and said Mr Simpson would have to pay court costs and compensation to BT.