Ten years for town centre gunman

A gunman who opened fire in a town centre before pointing his weapon at a police officer was jailed today for 10 years.

Kevin Fairweather, 28, was captured on CCTV firing shots in West Bromwich High Street, West Midlands, in the early hours of 11 May last year.

He was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court today after a jury found him guilty of two charges of possessing a handgun with intent to cause fear of violence and possessing a small firearm following a trial in November.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said after firing the shots, Fairweather, of Gordon House, West Bromwich, pointed the gun at Sergeant Richard Brookes, but did not fire.

A spokesman for the CPS said: "We are very pleased with the sentence.

"We hope that it sends out a clear message to those who are thinking of using firearms here in the West Midlands that the criminal justice system will deal with them robustly."