Misterton man jailed for air pistol attack

Deon Caley, 48, of Grovewood Road, pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court today (Thursday 23rd August 2012) to possession of a firearm with intent and wounding with intent.

He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for each charge. Both sentences are to run concurrently.

Just after 1pm on 11 April 2012 Caley approached Kirk Taylor while he was completing renovation work near to Misterton Methodist Church, in High Street.

Caley pointed a 22 gas-powered air pistol at Mr Taylor’s head and fired after he believed the 40-year-old had been involved in an argument with his teenage son earlier that day.

The pellet entered Mr Taylor’s forehead just above the left eye and lodged in his brow bone.

Caley was arrested later that day and the gas-powered air pistol was recovered from a hedgerow.

Mr Taylor, a father of three, subsequently had to have the pellet surgically removed. He still feels the affects of nerve damage that may never heal.

Det Con David Sadler, who led the case, said: “This was a deliberate act by Caley to seriously injure a man, through some warped belief that he posed a threat to his family.”

“There are rumours circulating in the village that this was a revenge attack following an assault on Caley’s son by Mr Taylor. Let me be clear, there was no such assault.”

“Mr Taylor, who was minding his own business during his normal daily work, was lucky not to have been blinded by this pellet or even killed.”

“May this case demonstrate to people the extent of damage air weapons can still cause and the serious view the criminal justice system takes of such irresponsible and dangerous behaviour.”

See next week’s Worksop Guardian for more on this story.