Criminals and gun licenses.

[modeller]

We are told gun permits are only issued to people of good character and yet Derick Bird who had several convictions for theft was still given gun licenses in 95 and 2007.
Should known criminals be given licenses or if they had them before committing an offence should the gun permit be withdrawn.?

[DrFilth]

( It has been reported that Bird had initially armed himself with two guns on Tuesday night, but was disarmed by a friend.

Bird is then believed to have sought medical help at a local hospital for his fragile mental state, only to be turned away)

OrcadianOil do you not think that is a sign
( Unless someone does something totally blatant and obvious to suggest to the relevant authorities that they are in danger of perpetrating an outrage )

[DrFilth]

gun law

http://s655.photobuck...ew¤t=gunlaw.jpg Media URL: http://s655.photobucket.com/albums/uu277/DrFilth/?action=view¤t=gunlaw.jpg
Description:

[whiskeryron]

I repeat
As I see it, it's not a question of who owns a gun & who doesn't, it all boils down to getting people into psychiatric care who show signs of mental disturbance, & once again it appears that the appropriate authorities failed. This guy knew there was something wrong with him & apparently was ignored when he asked for help.Take heed it will happen again.

[TTG]

Keep firearms at clubs. Why would anyone need to own any sort of firearm at their private residence?

[Gromit]

// Derrick Bird was found guilty of theft in 1990 and given a 12-month suspended jail sentence.

The theft was of building materials from the Sellafield nuclear power plant, where he worked as a joiner from 1978 to 1990, and led to his resignation. //

[LoftyLottie]

I almost daren't give an opinion because I got shot down by someone on another thread yesterday.

I agree with Jayne and also others on here. There is now too much emphasis on the holding of gun licences and now his past minor criminal offence.

This was a deranged bloke. It was a very, very rare occurence and it seems as if it could have been avoided if he had had the help he obviously needed and, in fact, asked for.

The media will make t he most of it and people will be drawn in.

It was an absolutely dreadful event, but we need to be logical.

[LoftyLottie]

Yes Gromit, and of course that really does indicate that he might go on the rampage with a gun some 20 years later, ;o).

[LoftyLottie]

If firearms were held at clubs, who would be responsible for them? The rules for holding a gun licence are strict and how many gun crimes are there which involved licenced gun holders?

[OrcadianOil]

"It has been reported....blah blah blah...armed himself...disarmed by friend"

I have been following this assiduously since the story broke on Wednesday morning and seem to have missed this alarming "revelation"?

Link?(None, I'd bet). Source?(The Tooth Fairy?)

Everything to date is conjecture, as has been demonstrated by the Police who, when interviewed, have been swift to dismiss and/or slap down any tittle tattle.

There is a massive investigation to be carried out and the main witness/player, Derrick Bird, is not available for interrogation. I prefer to get the truth and the facts from the investigating Officers, but they may never even get to the bottom of this tragedy.

Hence, speculative waffle and conjecture, rumour, or innuendo have no basis in fact. They are merely fed to the masses who can either swallow them hook, line and sinker, or, like me, they can wait for factual and informed conclusions to emerge, no matter how long it may take.

[McMouse]

The permit thing is rubbish. A friend of mine has legally held both a shotgun and rifle for 30 odd years. Guns always kept in approved locked cabinets and ammunition kept in separate safe. Last year the police called at his house during the day on a routine inspection and his wife showed them the locked cabinets and offered to open them as she knew where the keys were hidden. He had his permits withdrawn.

[DrFilth]

Link?(None, I'd bet)

for an assiduous person

have a look down this next to the picture ( cumbria shootings picture)

http://www.telegraph....d-and-25-injured.html

[DrFilth]

i'd bet this is a scan from a newspaper dated june 3rd 2010

http://s655.photobuck...ew¤t=absave.jpg

[modeller]

Oh come on Dr Filth you are the first to pounce on unsubstantiated reporting and you are now quoting # Bird is then believed to have sought medical help at a local hospital for his fragile mental state, only to be turned away) #
No where has that been confirmed by the police or a hospital.

And Lottie he was given a 12 months suspended sentence. You don't get 12 months for a ' minor conviction.'. The police did not call it minor . Gromit called it that, no doubt to diminish the offence and you appear to be doing the same.

You call him deranged and we may all think so but can you back it up with any
medical evidence. Witnesses state how normal he was before the events , apart from a couple odd remarks like I wont be seeing you again . He then calmly went home and collected his guns. Even the execution of the events were calm and calculated as he evaded the police. Not the behaviour of a deranged mind.
Unless you have a link to prove otherwise.

[joeluke]

Blasted, killed and injured several victims in the face, some of them he didn't even know who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time

If it ain't deranged then what would you call it?

[modeller]

Are you qualified in psychology Joe ?
You may think. I may think he is deranged but that's our unqualified opinion .
There are and have been many serial killers who are in normal prisons , not Broadmoor ,because they are not considered deranged .e.g. Myra Hindly died in Holloway.
David Bird did not rush around in a manic manner rather the opposite.
So you jumping up and down in rage does not make Bird a raging lunatic .

[DrFilth]

police mentioned that he sought medical help at a local hospital and were looking into it on the news.

OrcadianOil said Link?(None, I'd bet).

all i have done is scanned a newspaper and put a link to a news site. do the police tell
OrcadianOil in person or will he read the report in a newspaper

[joeluke]

Modeller

People of sound mind do not do what Derrick Bird did (David Bird was the twin brother who he killed)

How do you explain his random killing of defenceless folk he didn't even know? He may have had his reasons for the first few killings but after that it was just whichever unfortunate person who unwittingly crossed his murderous path who he killed.

He had no reason to kill those people not known to him, or did he get a taste for blood after the first few hits?

You'd have a different view if it was one of your family who had crossed his murderous path

[lankeela]

Why would a taxi driver need guns anyway?

[modeller]

Joe did I give my opinion at anytime.? I have put the question and queried answers when they were not based on known facts. They don't represent my views.

[OrcadianOil]

Totally unsubstantiated claims: Attributed to no source(s). Complete hearsay, nothing more, nothing less, no substance, no fact.

Anyone placing any credence by such a load of Jackanory is indeed gullible.