Man who threatened to shoot police officers jailed for life

A man who stole a shotgun from a house and threatened to shoot police officers and hospital staff has been jailed.
Phillip BlackburnPhillip Blackburn
Phillip Blackburn

Philip Blackburn, 31, of no fixed abode was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday, to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of 11 years after being found guilty of burglary, possession of a firearm and ammunition when being a prohibited person, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and three counts of threats to kill.

On Thursday, September 11, 2015, Blackburn was arrested and taken into custody in Wigan for an unrelated offence but was taken to hospital due to a concern for his welfare.

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Whilst at hospital, he began threatening to shoot some PCSOs that he had previously encountered as well as the hospital staff who were treating him.

In the midst of his threats, he repeatedly described a burglary at a property in Cheshire where he claimed to have stolen a shotgun and ammunition.

Based on the very accurate account given by Blackburn, police were able to link him to a burglary in the Culcheth area of Cheshire, which took place on Monday, September 8, 2015.

The only items stolen during the burglary were a shotgun and ammunition.

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Detective Sergeant Lee Shaw of GMP’s Wigan Division said: “Philip Blackburn is an arrogant and brazen individual who was so keen to act the ‘big man’ and intimidate the people around him that he implicated himself in a burglary which had happened earlier that same week.

“In the midst of him threatening to shoot police and hospital staff with a shotgun, he gave officers all the information they needed to initially connect him to the burglary and investigate his involvement.

“He will now spend the foreseeable future sat in a prison cell and I hope subsequently during that time he will be able to reflect on his blatant disregard for authority and look to change his ways.”

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