Michael Carrol, a twice-convicted drug dealer, was caught with 16 bullets in his bag after nearly crashing his electric scooter into a police car. The 47-year-old, of no fixed address, was also smoking cannabis at the time. Weeks later, he was found in possession of a taser while wearing only a dressing gown and no shoes. He is now serving his latest prison sentence in a secure psychiatric hospital, suffering from hallucinations and claiming “people were chasing and watching him.”
Incident on Coronation Drive
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday that police saw Carrol smoking a cannabis joint on an e-scooter on Coronation Drive in Prescot at around 9:30 p.m. on May 19, 2025. He “almost collided” with their patrol car before riding away, according to Iain Criddle, prosecuting. Officers detained and searched Carrol, finding £1,600 in cash on him. They also recovered a quantity of ammunition from a bag that had been discarded nearby. Carrol’s DNA was found on the bag, which contained 16 9mm blank firing cartridges converted for use in a pistol or revolver by adding lead projectiles.
Mr. Criddle remarked: “He was arrested as a result of him riding round on an electric scooter smoking a cannabis cigarette, which is, frankly, unbelievable behaviour, given that he was carrying 16 rounds of ammunition with him. The prosecution is not able to say what he was going to do with them. It was genuinely a coincidental stop and search.”
Prior Convictions
Carrol has a lengthy criminal record. He was convicted of robbery, attempted robbery, and possession of an imitation firearm in 2003. In 2008, he was jailed for six years for possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply. In 2012, he received seven years and three months for possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition. Mr. Criddle noted that during a search warrant, a self-loading Beretta-type pistol and ammunition were found in a drawer. Carrol told police he was “being put under some form of pressure to mind that on behalf of others.” He was also handed three years for drug supply offences in 2021 and 30 months in August 2025 for possession of a prohibited weapon.
Taser Incident
On June 5, 2025, approximately a fortnight after the ammunition incident, Carrol was found in possession of a taser. Mr. Criddle described: “He was described as wearing a dressing gown. He had no shoes on and was in possession of a taser. It appeared to be active and had a red light on the handle.”
Mental Health Issues
John Rowan, defending, said Carrol had been transferred to Rowan View Hospital during his current sentence and is not due for release until early next year. He explained: “It is clear that Mr. Carrol, as a result of his history, as a result of his problems, is someone who, at times, has been preyed upon. However, he has quite often gone into these situations with his eyes open and received lengthy custodial sentences, being in and out of prison for many years. It is perhaps only of late that Mr. Carrol’s mental health problems have caused some significant issues. He has no formal diagnosis. He is suffering from auditory and visual hallucinations and paranoid views. He appears to be engaging well. He is taking his medication.”
Mr. Rowan added: “It is clear from the incident in June, two weeks later, that this was not a well man. When police arrived, he made some very concerning comments about people chasing and watching him, the sort of comments that he is continuing to make in hospital. It is hoped that Mr. Carrol will eventually become well. When that is, we do not know. He is, respectfully, in the best place. If the defendant becomes well, he will be transferred to prison. He will not be released from that hospital until he is well enough.”
Sentencing
Carrol admitted possession of ammunition without a certificate, possession of ammunition when prohibited for life, and possession of cannabis. Appearing via video link from the secure unit wearing a grey Under Armour t-shirt and shorts, he was handed a further two years in prison. Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland KC said: “Regrettably, the police did not charge you promptly. You were not charged with these offences until January of this year. I say regrettably because, on a previous occasion, in fact, in August of last year, I sentenced you for unlawful possession of a taser. I have to sentence you, in reality, for similar offending which could have been prosecuted at the same time but was not.”
Judge Medland continued: “You have chronic and persistent paranoid schizophrenia problems. You are currently on an internal transfer from prison to Rowan View and are heavily medicated. The end result is that the sentence I pass will have a significantly lower starting point than it initially would have had.”
