Jail for thug who brandished sawn-off shotgun

Richard Dye (37) went to the Jet garage on Doncaster Road, Mexborough, at around 1.20am last August 6.

Sheffield Crown Court heard Dye, driving a black Mitsubishi Warrior off-road vehicle, approached the cashier.

He told the woman he had been disrespected by a man in Denaby over a debt and that he would “sort him out” for treating him “like a c***”.

Dye then produced the shotgun, saying the man was going to “get some of this”, before driving off towards Denaby.

The witness called police and when officers spotted Dye’s car around 20 minutes later they tried to stop it.

Dye failed to stop and drove off at speed, leading police on a chase.

He soon left the road and crossed a field, where officers lost track of him.

Dye’s car was discovered later at Aspen Lodge rehabilitation clinic, on Manvers Road, Mexborough, where he had been heard screaming: “Let me in.”

Inside the car were several spent and live shotgun shells, as well as an axe and a balaclava.

Dye returned to the Jet petrol station in a Nissan Patrol vehicle at 3.32am, when a detective was interviewing the cashier.

The witness identified Dye to the officer as he bought lager and bragged: “I’ve done it. I shot him.”

When the detective asked Dye whether he had attended with a shotgun earlier, Dye denied it and drove off. He was later arrested at home.

The shotgun was recovered from a field by a farmer days later.

Ms Laura Marshall, prosecuting, said police do not think the gun was fired on August 6, calling Dye’s behaviour “bravado”.

At interview, Dye admitted that he had no legal access to a shotgun and no shotgun certificate.

He eventually pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Mr Richard Davies, mitigating, said his client had “had time to reflect on his behaviour” while in custody.

He added that Dye was “working and leading a normal life until what he did here”.

His Honour Judge Simon Lawler QC heard that Dye had several previous convictions, mainly for motoring offences.

Judge Lawler sentenced Dye to 30 months in prison for the firearms offence plus nine months for dangerous driving, to run consecutively.

He also disqualified Dye from driving for three years.

The judge called Dye “foolish in the extreme” for carrying the gun, adding it was “fortunate” that no other road users were put at risk during the early hours chase.