Traveller jailed after caravan park gun attack

David Stewart, 21, was lucky to survive after he was hit in the chest and abdomen as 16 pellets from the .410 gauge weapon became lodged in his liver, kidneys, lungs and near his heart.

At Sheffield Crown Court, his attacker Henry Gaskin, 46, admitted using a firearm to cause fear or violence.

He had been due to stand trial for attempted murder along with his 18-year-old son, also named Henry, and daughter Samantha, 22, which all three denied.

But prosecutors accepted his alternative plea and offered no evidence against his children, who walked free from the dock.

David Hall, prosecuting, said a 999 call reporting the shooting was made from the Land’s End Caravan Site at Thorne, near Doncaster, at 11.50pm on May 19.

It emerged Gaskin Snr had been injured in a previous fight with others and went to his caravan to get the gun to frighten people.

He shouted: “I’m going to shoot, I’m going to shoot” before discharging the gun at least once, causing the victim’s injuries, the court heard.

The gun and cartridges were later recovered by police from a shed belonging to Gaskin Snr. He made no comment during police interviews but claimed he had only meant to threaten violence and not deliberately harm Mr Stewart.

The court heard he has convictions for dishonesty in the 1980s and 1990s, public order offences and common assault in 1998.

Mr Stewart, who was treated at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital, has since made a full recovery. He used to live on the site but left after the incident, and refused to come to court to give evidence for the prosecution.

Philip Astbury, defending, said Gaskin Snr, a grandfather and the sole breadwinner for his family, had acted out of character.

He said: “It happened in the heat of the moment. He received a substantial blow on the head during the fight and was later treated for concussion in hospital. It wasn’t calculated or pre-meditated.”

Jailing Gaskin Snr, Judge Julian Goose told him: “Fortunately for you he managed to survive and was discharged from hospital. You carried with you a genuine firearm that was loaded and very serious injury was caused.”

Detective Inspector Steve Whittaker said: “This was a targeted attack and we will not tolerate the use of illegal firearms regardless of what community they come from. This was an extremely serious offence and Mr Stewart was lucky not to have been fatally wounded. He refused to attend court as did other witnesses which is extremely disappointing for us.”

He added: “It is not acceptable for any community to believe they can take the law into their own hands.”