Man jailed for 24 years over Castle Cary police shoot-out

A man who was involved in a shoot-out with armed police officers in Castle Cary has been sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Daniel Hannam from Dorset fired an illegal sawn-off shotgun out of a window of a house as armed police surrounded the property.

Two officers, known only as IX and IC, returned fire.

After the incident Hannam phoned 999 and told the operator: "I've just had a shoot-out with your police officers yeah, they've surrounded the house right now.

"There are two children and a woman inside this house, how do you want this to go down right now? That's what I want to know."

The 33-year-old admitted firing the weapon but insisted he was aiming into the air at the time and had not intended to kill the officers.

Hannam was cleared of two counts of attempting to murder a police officer but found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Hannam previously admitted attempted kidnap, making use of a firearm with intent to resist arrest, possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possession of a firearm when prohibited, robbery, and attempted burglary.

He had breached the terms of his licence having been released from prison in August last year from an imprisonment for public protection sentence (IPP).

The offences he admitted also included an armed robbery at a Co-op in Yeovil, in which he threatened staff with a shotgun.

CCTV showed Hannam waving the weapon around and then threatening to shoot the two staff members on duty.

The court heard five days later he took the shotgun onto the streets of Castle Cary late at night.

He shot twice at the door of McColls newsagents, attempted to kidnap a motorist and then fired the gun when the driver fled.

Armed police quickly surrounded the home of Hannam's former girlfriend and after a two-hour stand-off with police he gave himself up.

Jailing him, Mr Justice Soole said Hannam has "a very bad record of offences of violence" and that his record "shows an escalation of violence".

Hannam will serve at least 16 years before he can apply for parole but also remains subject of the imprisonment for public protection sentence imposed in 2012.

The judge also praised the "quite remarkable courage" of all the armedofficers involved in the events of January 23.

"I simply wish to recognise the court's overwhelming admiration for the work they did that night and continue to do."