Poole man jailed for several firearms offences
30 year old Wanrong Liang pulled an imitation revolver on a group of young people
A Poole man has been jailed for five years for several firearms offences.
Wanrong Liang, who's 30, has been sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court today (Friday 12th May).
He's been convicted with possessing an imitation firearm, with intent to cause fear of violence; possessing a prohibited weapon - namely CS gas; possession of a disguised firearm - an electronic incapacitation device.
What happened?
In January 2023, Dorset Police had reports of a man waving what appeared to be a firearm towards a group of young people outside the Spar shop on Turlin Road.
A man had been reported to have been on an electric bike and had shouted abuse at the group.
He then got off the bike and pulled out an imitation revolver and followed them into the shop.
He brandished the firearm around before leaving the store, getting back on the bike and riding away.
Liang was arrested following officers' enquiries and a search of his address in Poole was conducted.
The weapon shown at the Spar store, an electronic incapacitation device and CS gas were located.
Detective Constable Natasha Beaufils, of Bournemouth CID, said:
“We take all incidents involving imitation firearms and prohibited weapons extremely seriously.
“Thanks to the swift response by officers on the night of Wednesday 4 January 2023, we were able to identify Liang as the person involved in this incident and a subsequent search of his address uncovered a number of potentially dangerous weapons.
"This was a challenging and complex investigation with regards to compiling evidence and building a successful case against the defendant. This ensure that Liang could be held accountable for his actions and the distress that he caused.
“I would urge anyone with information about individuals who are believed to be in possession of prohibited weapons to please do the right thing and report it to police, so we can take robust action against those involved and keep the public safe.”