Christmas bail gunman in custody

A judge who was heavily criticised for releasing a gun-carrying drug dealer so he could spend Christmas with his mother, has refused to renew his bail.

Damien Sawyers, 25, had been convicted of possessing four banned firearms including a Skorpion CZ91S capable of firing 750 rounds a minute.

The decision by Judge Eldred Tabachnik QC to grant him conditional bail was criticised by two victims' groups.

On Tuesday, he said he had no choice but to reject a new bail application.

'Serious offences'

Norman Brennan, a director of Victims of Crime Trust, had described the judge's original decision as disgraceful and called for a review by the Lord Chief Justice.

Michelle Forbes, of Mothers Against Guns, said she too was disgusted.

At the court on Tuesday, Sawyer's defence counsel described the judge's earlier decision as "exceptionally humane" and asked for bail to be continued.

But the judge said: "The nature of the offences here were possession of drugs with intent to supply and also four counts of possession of guns.

Prohibited ammunition

"They are serious and must be viewed in that light."

He added that although Sawyers had honoured all the bail conditions, he had no choice but to remand him in custody.

Sawyers was arrested in February after police raided a property in south London and found heroin and crack with a street value of almost £40,000.

He was also convicted of having a shotgun without a certificate and holding prohibited ammunition.

Sawyers will be sentenced on 2 February and faces a minimum jail term of five years on the weapons counts.