A man who threatened police officers with a handgun has been sent to prison for 3.5 years.
Officers attended the home address of 57-year-old Thomas Whelan in June last year following a ‘concern for welfare’ call received by Nottinghamshire Police.
As officers were contacting support agencies for Whelan, he went upstairs after telling officers that he was going to get his mobile phone.
But when he came back downstairs, Whelan started pointing a black gun at officers and shouted: ‘get out of my house’.
Being unarmed, the officers run from the property and sought cover behind a police car.
But Wheelan got into a van and started to ram the two police vehicles.
The officers were forced to seek cover in a neighbouring house as armed response vehicles made their way to the scene.
The van, being driven by Wheelan, was located, and armed officers used tactical contact to bring it to a stop. Whelan was pulled out of the vehicle and arrested.
Officers also found a black BB revolver in the footwell, and a shotgun was recovered from his home house along with a large amount of cash.
Wheelan pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing a firearm without a certificate, two counts of having a bladed article in a public place, dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance to the offences and was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday (8th July 2020).
Detective Constable Tim Baker, who led the investigation, said:
‘Clearly we recognise that Whelan was suffering from mental health issues when officers visited him that day but we cannot condone this violent and abusive behaviour.
‘The officers were just trying to help him. It’s also clear that he was conducting criminal activity by having the illegal firearms in his home.
‘To our mind, he is a dangerous individual and we’re glad he has been held to account for his crimes.’
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Three and a half years? That goes to show crime pays. What a ridiculous sentence. He’ll be out in no time.