Petrified paramedic kicks gun from Oldbury man's hand (From Halesowen News)

Petrified paramedic kicks gun from Oldbury man's hand

8:00am Tuesday 29th January 2013 in News

AN OLDBURY man who pulled a gun on a petrified paramedic after calling an ambulance to his house has been remanded on bail for psychiatric reports.

Gary Birch. aged 56, pointed the imitation firearm at Dennis Lochian but he was almost immediately disarmed by the paramedic who kicked him in the arm.

Mr Howard Searle prosecuting at Wolverhampton Crown Court said: "The paramedic clearly feared for his safety and he kicked out at the arm of the defendant who dropped the firearm.

"Then, together with a colleague he pinned the defendant to a bed and the police were quickly called to the property," added Mr. Searle.

Birch of Hackett Court, Church Lane admitted possessing an imitation firearm and Judge Martin Walsh ruled he wanted an opinion from a psychiatrist on his suitability for a mental health treatment requirement.

The Judge adjourned the case until February 25 and told Birch: "A treatment order is one of the potential sentencing options open to me but I am not indicating this necessarily will be the view I take."

Mr Searle told the court that Birch lead the ambulance crew to his bedroom after answering their knock on the door of his home and he then suddenly produced the gun from under the bed.

Birch who had earlier reported he wanted to kill himself had visited the accident department at Sandwell General Hospital on 19 previous occasions, revealed the Judge who concluded, "This is a troubling case."

On another occasion, he said, there had been an "accidental" fire at the property at a time when Birch was feeling suicidal.