A great-grandfather who threatened his granddaughter with a gun during an argument about his wife’s ashes has been jailed for five years.
Martin Gordon, 64, was filmed brandishing a gun and heavy-duty baseball bat in the West Midlands.
Mr Gordon, who was decked out in gold jewellery, confronted his granddaughter at the Samson and Lion pub in Wordsley about the removal of his wife’s ashes from the mantelpiece.
He waved the gun and his grandson held the baseball bat during the family argument, which was live streamed on Facebook on August 11, 2024.
West Midlands Police were called just before 1pm and firearm officers found Mr Gordon on an industrial estate on Pensnett Road, Brierley Hill, less than 40 minutes later.
When officers arrived they shouted ‘armed police, show me your hands, get on the ground now, on the ground’.
Mr Gordon exited his SUV and was forced to the ground.
He had a magazine containing two bullets in his pocket and the gun was still in the car.
Martin Gordon, 64, was live streamed on Facebook brandishing a gun and heavy-duty baseball bat in the West Midlands
Mr Gordon, who was decked out in gold jewellery, threatened his granddaughter with a gun during an argument about his wife’s ashes
Mr Gordon was charged with two counts of possessing a taser, having ammunition without a license and possessing a firearm
Following an investigation by the Major Crime Unit (MCU), Mr Gordon admitted possession of a firearm.
Officers also found a live round of ammunition in the sink of his home on Brierley Hill Road, Wordsley.
Detective Sergeant Matt Nightingale, from the West Midlands MCU, said: ‘Gordon brandished this weapon in full view of other members of the public and made no effort to conceal it.
‘Quick work by officers meant that we were able to quickly locate him and recover the gun.’
When officers arrived they shouted at Mr Gordon, who was in a black SUV, ‘armed police, show me your hands, get on the ground now, on the ground’; they found the gun in his car
Officers found a live round of ammunition in the sink of Mr Gordon’s home on Brierley Hill Road, Wordsley
Firearm officers found Mr Gordon on an industrial estate on Pensnett Road, Brierley Hill
Mr Gordon pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court and was jailed on February 13, for five years.
He was charged with two counts of possessing a taser, having ammunition without a license and possessing a firearm.
Detective Sergeant Matt Nightingale added: ‘We’re committed to tackling gun crime – we’re taking weapons off the streets and putting those who carry them behind bars.’
More than 200 guns were removed from the streets of the West Midlands last year as part of Operation Target, a 24/7 mission to tackle serious and organised crime across the region.
