Man jailed for fashioning a gun out of brown paper bag and threatening police officers in Telford

Prosecuting, Mr Danny Smith, told the court that the 37-year-old was banging on the glass doors after the shop was closed and was demanding to be let in.

“He stated he had a gun,” said Mr Smith, “And demanded the door was opened or he was going to shoot.”

But he added: “It is fair to say, they (the store workers) never actually believed he had a gun so they took out a phone out and started recording him.”

He said Sylvester then used shopping trolleys to try to batter his way inside the shop, and when that failed, “lowered his trousers and showed his penis and buttocks”.

Police were called and two officers arrived on the scene.

Mr Smith said Sylvester then took out a “brown Primark bag”  that he had just fashioned it into a gun-shape in a corner of the car park. He also wrapped some black cloth around his face in a makeshift balaclava.

“He shouted 'I have a gun' and aimed it at the police car,” Mr Smith said, adding that he demanded the the officers both “get out."

When they refused, Sylvester attempted to open the boot to police car.

“Being concerned what he might take out of the car, the officers bravely got out,” said Mr Smith , adding that Sylvester then tried to flee, before being arrested and getting into a “tussle” with the two officers.

The court heard that Sylvester had 34 previous convictions to his name, for 84 offences, and was on licence when the incident occurred, having just been released from prison for a "similar offence".

But Mr Paul Smith, defending, pointed out that Sylvester had pleaded guilty to all charges he faced, which included possession of a firearm, possession of cocaine, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and a section 4 public order offence of causing fear or provocation of violence.

In mitigation, Mr Smith said Sylvester had been “sleeping rough” as he was homeless after having just left prison and he was having a “delusional period”, likely due to the cocaine he had been taking at the time.

Mr Recorder Anthony Warner told the defendant the lead offence was the possession of an imitation firearm, adding while it had been made from a paper bag, “you spoke of a gun and the paper you had shaped certainly looked like a gun and that would have been very frightening to the police officers and anybody else who was there.”

He sentenced him to 16 months imprisonment for that offence but added three more months for the two assaults on an emergency worker.

He was also jailed for four months for the section 4 offence and one month for possessing cocaine but those offences were concurrent.

The judge also placed a restraining order on him banning him from the Telford store as he was a "known shoplifter" at the shop. 

After the sentence Chief Inspector Matt Sanders said: “When officers are sent to an ongoing incident they are going into the unknown. That night, PC Dan Arthur and PC George Oliver responded to an attempted burglary, and came face-to-face with a man whose clear intention was to cause harm and distress to police.

“Sylvester's actions were calculated, going to great lengths to ensure officers were called to the scene, including threatening members of the public and trying to break into a shop.

"He covered his face with a jumper to ensure he wasn’t recognised by officers before manipulating an object to look like a small firearm so he could threaten whoever was responding.

“The bravery and professionalism shown by both PCs that evening was nothing short of extraordinary.

"Fortunately, neither officer sustained any injuries, and Sylvester was swiftly arrested thanks to the quick thinking and actions of both officers that night, along with those who also came to their aid.“No-one should come to work and face violence, and we thank our officers that day for their bravery and dedication to keeping communities safe.”