Gun goes off during trial

A gun being examined by an Old Bailey juror considering verdicts in a robbery case went off yesterday, damaging a ceiling.

The weapon, a replica Colt 45 which fired pellets, was an exhibit in the case of Christopher Ward, 30, of Greenwich, south-east London, who was later jailed for 12 years after being convicted of using it during a series of robberies. The weapon was being examined in the jury room when it went off.