'Dangerous man' who fired shotgun at house in Rawmarsh area of Rotherham jailed
A “dangerous” man who fired a shotgun at a house in Rotherham has been jailed.
At 6:18pm on November 25, 2024, police responded to reports of a firearms discharge at an address on Dawson Avenue in Rawmarsh.
Armed officers attended and found evidence consistent with a firearms discharge at the scene.
Police identified an earlier linked incident at the same address, where a man had made threats to the homeowner. He is believed to have threatened to “shoot the lot of you”.
Craig Berridge, 46, was identified as a suspect and arrested just over two hours on from the initial discharge.
CCTV footage showed a man matching the clothing Berridge was arrested in aim a shotgun at the property and discharge it. Further footage showed the earlier incident, with Berridge clearly pictured making threats towards occupants.
Berridge, of Grange Road, Rawmarsh, was charged with possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing a knife in a public place and affray.
He pleaded guilty to all charges and was jailed for six years, with an extended licence of four years, at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday (January 14).
Detective Inspector Claire Moss said: "Craig Berridge is a dangerous man. He took a firearm and with no thought for anyone else's safety discharged it at a property before casually walking away like nothing had happened.
"We want to be clear that firearms enabled criminality has no place in South Yorkshire and our dedicated Armed Crime Team works relentlessly to tackle gun crime, proactively targeting individuals linked to firearms, as well as organised crime groups who are often responsible for the vast majority of firearms offences.
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"It is vital we work in conjunction with local communities and partners to tackle gun crime and we would encourage anyone with concerns about firearms or gun crime in their local area to please get in contact with us.
"We know some of you may not wish to be associated with the police – but you can still play your part. Contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or Crimestoppers-uk.org. Everything reported through Crimestoppers is 100% anonymous and confidential, you will never be identified."