Gunman faces long jail term for Wigan house attack

Jamie Bailey, 28, has confessed to aiming a nine milimetre handgun at the property in Sandalwood Drive, Beech Hill, on March 4 this year.

But prosecutors have accepted he knew that the occupiers of the home, would have been upstairs when he took potshots at the ground floor during the broad daylight attack, Bolton Crown Court was told.

Police confirmed at the time that while there was some damage caused to ground floor windows and a number of items within the house, no-one was physically hurt as a result of the attack.

Bailey, of Forest Avenue, Beech Hill, had been due to stand trial on charges of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of a firearm of less than 30cm in length, which he had denied.

But the prosecution accepted a guilty plea to an offence of possession of a firearam with intent to cause fear of violence to Philip King on March 4.

Remanding him in custody for pre-sentence reports, Judge Timothy Stead said: “It is likely that a significant sentence will be passed, and I am sure you are aware of that. But I need to know more about you first.”

Earlier, prosecutor Anthony Stephenson said it was apparent that the offence amounted to a single incident.

“It is clear that when the shot was fired the defendant would have known that the complainant was upstairs and the shot was fired downstairs.

“Therefore there could not have been a real intention on behalf of the defendant.”

Mr Stephenson said projectiles had been recovered from the scene which suggested that the handgun carried by Bailey was a nine-milimetre handgun.

But the weapon had never been recovered, the court heard, so a ballistics expert could not give any more definitive answers concerning the potential risk posed by the gun.

Defence counsel Paul Treble added: “The defendant is in custody and there is no application for bail.

“He is lightly convicted and I would make an application for a pre-sentence report.”

Bailey was remanded in custody until September 14 and will appear for sentence via a video link.