Farmer who blasted shotgun at thieves’ van to sue police chief

Confusion over gun law.

A farmer who used a shotgun to defend his mum against a thief is launching a libel action against a crime commissioner who said he put the public at risk.

Bill Edwards, 22, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the shooting at his isolated woodland property near Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

He shot at a van loaded with metal stolen from his farm and driven by crook David Taylor.

The farmer insists Taylor would have killed him and mum Louisa Smith, 51, when he drove at the pair, unless he had fired at his van.

But magistrates fined Taylor just £100 for theft after claiming he had been left “traumatised.”

North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Julia Mulligan who has campaigned for victims’ rights told a radio interview “exceptional circumstances” led to police arresting Mr Edwards.

She suggested he put other people at risk.

But Mr Edwards believes her comments were defamatory and is now suing the PCC for libel.

He said: “After this happened, I went from a hero who stood up for his mum against a thief to somebody under suspicion, who nobody trusted.

“To begin with, I was hoping just for an apology to rectify what she had said because it has cost me a lot of work.

“She refused to do that, despite me telling her what effect it has had on me.

“I am now taking action for libel for her calling me a danger to the public so I can get back some of the money I have lost.”

A spokesman for the PCC’s office said she would “robustly defend” Mr Edward’s claims.

The young farmer’s nightmare began last summer when he and his mum discovered Taylor and an accomplice loading a Ford Transit van with metal cables after breaking in to an outbuilding.

One fled immediately but the other, Taylor, jumped in the van and drove it towards them as they frantically dialled police for help.

Mr Edwards fired his gun hitting the windscreen and bodywork but nobody was hurt.

They then gave chase, with Mr Edwards driving while his mum gave a running commentary to police. Police eventually caught Taylor a few miles away.

The crook was only charged with theft but Mr Edwards faced a much more serious charge of attempted murder. His mum was also arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent. Both were held in cells overnight before being released on bail.

North Yorkshire Police have since dropped the charges against Mr Edwards and his mum and returned his shotguns and rifles, which were confiscated after the shooting, to dad Garry, 68.

But Mr Edwards said his “hell” was continuing.

He has struggled to find work because of the damage to his reputation and has not been able to control pests on the farm because his gun licence was revoked.

“I’m quite disgusted at how shockingly I have been treated,” said Mr Edwards, who has filed an official complaint over North Yorkshire Police’s handling of his case. “It seems that the police and the PCC have an issue with people acting in self defence.

“My options were to stay there and be killed or shoot him not something I wanted to do so I just did the bare minimum and shot the van.”

Julia Mulligan, who is represented by Simon Denis, head of North Yorkshire Police’s legal services, was unable to comment when contacted by The Sunday Post.

Her spokesman Will Naylor said: “As these matters are currently subject to ongoing legal procedures, it would not be appropriate to comment in detail.

“We are, however, robustly rejecting the claim being asserted against the commissioner”.

Andrew Gray, representing Mr Edwards, said: “After being subjected to a terrifying ordeal on his farm by a thief, my courageous client, who had assisted in the arrest and conviction of that thief, then sustained losses as a result

of the actions and omissions of PCC Julia Mulligan and North Yorkshire Police.”

The arrest of Bill Edwards reignited the controversy over how householders can protect their families.

It followed the arrest of husband and wife Andy and Tracey Ferrie for GBH after Mr Ferrie fired a gun at burglars attempting to raid their Leicestershire home in September last year.

The Crown Prosecution Service deemed the couple had acted in reasonable self-defence and did not press charges.

Farmer Tony Martin was found guilty of murdering Fred Barras after the 16-year-old and an accomplice broke into his house in Norfolk in August 1999. Martin opened fire on the burglars with a pump-action shotgun. His sentence caused a national outcry and was reduced to manslaughter on appeal.