Man who shot himself in testicles gets five years jail

A 28-year-old man who shot himself in the testicles with a sawn-off shotgun has been jailed for five years.

David Walker had drunk 15 pints of lager when he accidentally discharged the gun which was stuffed down his trousers, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

The court was told how Walker underwent emergency surgery following the incident in Dinnington, South Yorkshire, and tests are continuing to find out how it will affect his fertility and future "sexual relationships."

A judge heard how he went home for the gun after spending an evening in the pub arguing with lifelong friend Stuart Simpson about whose turn it was to buy a beer.

Andrew Hatton, prosecuting, told the court Walker left the pub and returned later with the shotgun but the bar had closed by this time and Mr Simpson had left.

Mr Hatton said: "He went home to get his gun. As he was returning to the area of the pub with it the gun went off.

"He had it shoved down his trousers.

"After the shotgun had discharged he placed it in a rubbish bin and crawled back to his home address."

Walker told police he was so drunk he had no idea why he went to fetch the gun or how he had managed to shoot himself.

Mr Hatton said the defendant's mother found him at home covered with blood in the groin area.

It was a doctor at Bassetlaw Hospital, in Worksop, who called in the police.

Gulzar Syed, defending, said: "He is still suffering as a result of the injuries.

"He still feels quite severe pain. There are still pellets embedded within the scrotum area of his body."

Asked by the judge about the doctors' predictions for Walker's future, Mr Syed said it was still too early for them to be sure "in terms of his fertility and degree in which any sexual relationship he has subsequently will be affected."

He said he was also suffering from depression at the time of the shooting.

Mr Syed told the judge his client had bought the gun for just £15 four years before the incident on March 6, this year.

He said Walker had bought it for self protection as he had been beaten up on a number of occasions.

Mr Syed added: "This was an isolated incident an aberration. It was out of character for him."

Walker, of The Crescent, Dinnington, admitted one charge of possession of a prohibited firearm at a previous hearing.

Judge Robert Moore said recent legislation regarding banned guns meant he had to impose the statutory minimum sentence on Walker of five years in prison.

He said: "The shooting of yourself is plainly an exceptional circumstance which is capable of reducing the sentence. But in this case, I am quite certain, it does not justify reducing it below the statutory minimum."

The court heard that Walker had a number of previous convictions for minor dishonesty matters and one for possession of a screwdriver he said was for protection.

He had no history of firearms offences.