A delivery driver had a gun pulled on him and was told he would have his brains blown out as he tried to drop off a package in Penshaw. Adam McDermott, 37, of Bleasdale Crescent, threatened the driver with what turned out to be an imitation handgun in what a judge described as an 'odd' offence.
The incident occurred around 10.30pm on April 20 2022. The delivery driver went to drop something off at an address which turned out to be a shop that was closed, and he was therefore unable to make the drop-off. He tried to call the intended recipient but this was unsuccessful.
Bizarre confrontation
He noticed a man — McDermott — go past on a bicycle and stop in front of the shop and knock on a door. He thought he might be able to help him and asked if it was number eight, Newcastle Crown Court heard. McDermott strangely responded by saying something which included 'number f****** eight, you f****** southerners'. The driver said there was no need to behave in the way he was and told him to grow up.
McDermott then pulled out a silver handgun with a gold handle and stars engraved on the barrel. Judge Robert Adams said: 'You threatened to blow his brains out then asked for his name, rank and number. You said he better not have a camera in his car or you would set fire to it. You continued to be aggressive until he left the area.' Judge Adams added: 'It's an odd case. Your behaviour was extremely strange.'
Impact on victim
After police arrested him, they found the packaging for a handgun at his home but not the gun itself. They also found 12 shotgun cartridges but McDermott denied they were his and prosecutors accepted this and he was not being sentenced for that.
The victim said in a statement read to the court: 'This incident has caused me significant distress and has had a significant impact on my mental health. It was a very serious incident and caused me to fear for my safety and also my life. I've had trouble sleeping and I've had to seek help from a doctor. This incident had a large impact on my life. I used to be a positive, outgoing person and I'm now anxious and closed off. I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and uneasy in public.' He added that he has regular flashbacks and had to take between 18 months and two years off work as a result of what happened, which caused financial issues for his family.
Sentence and background
McDermott, who has previous convictions and is currently on a community order for being drunk on an aircraft, pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. He was sentenced to 18 months suspended for 18 months. McDermott told a probation officer the driver had made a mistake about him being the recipient of the delivery and had been nasty and irate with him. The court heard he was assaulted by a neighbour in 2023 and has been badly affected by the death of his mother.
