A man who casually brandished a firearm at a group of teenagers in McDonalds, before aiming it at a police officer responding to the incident, has been jailed.
Jacob Jenkins caught the attention of the youths at the Tonypandy fast food restaurant on May 2, as they noticed he was wearing a stab-proof vest under his coat and was staring at them.
One of the group asked the 29-year-old if he was a police officer, to which he replied “marines” before showing them a pistol he was carrying.
Concerned for their safety the group then left the restaurant before reporting the incident to the police.
Having also left the restaurant, Jenkins was quickly stopped by an officer on Gelli Road, but instead of surrendering, he once again pulled out the weapon and pointed it directly at the officer while shouting at him, before fleeing the scene.
With additional officers also responding to the incident, Jenkins was soon found leaving a nearby construction site having removed his coat.
He was arrested and a thorough search of the site by a police dog and its handler quickly recovered the coat along with two guns, which had been well-hidden under pallets, and which were found to be gas-powered ball-bearing (BB) guns.
A further search of the address where Jenkins had been staying also recovered another stab-vest and a tub of BB pellets.
At Cardiff Crown Court, Jenkins pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possession of an imitation firearm in a public place, and two counts of possession of a bladed article in public.
This week, he was sentenced to four years and one month, with an extended period of three years.
Detective Constable Sarah Griffiths, officer in the case, said:
“This incident was extremely frightening for everyone involved – from the youths who should have felt safe while enjoying their meal to the officer who was faced with a gun from just metres away.
“It demonstrates clearly how even weapons perceived by some to be harmless, such as BB guns, can be extremely dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. As shown here, they can be used to deliberately cause fear, or to carry out serious offences.
“As part of our In The Wrong Hands campaign, we urge our communities to work with us to ensure weapons such as this don’t fall into the hands of the wrong people, and I cannot commend the young witnesses in this case enough. Their quick-thinking ensured we were able to seize the weapons and bring Jenkins before the courts.
“I’m pleased Jenkins has been handed a custodial sentence and hope this brings some reassurance and comfort to those involved in the incident and the wider community.”
