Teenager jailed for carrying gun and knife into Crawley College in West Sussex

Sandijs Dreimanis, 18, pointed the imitation firearm at a member of staff and pulled the trigger during dramatic scenes at Crawley College, West Sussex, in April 2020.

He did so with the intention of being shot by armed police, Lewes Crown Court heard.

After walking around the campus he took out the firearm and pointed it at teachers, pulling the trigger.

Gunshots were heard ringing out on the college premises, sparking a huge police response with dozens of armed officers going to the scene.

Two teachers, Simon Wilson and Pete Davidson, eventually tackled the teenager, sustaining minor injuries.

No serious injuries were reported during the incident and a blank-firing handgun and a knife were seized by police.

At Lewes Crown Court today (March 11), Dreimanis was sentenced to a total of five years and six months at a young offender institution, owing to the fact he was under 18 at the time of the offence.

He had been due to go on trial in January over the charge of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence but changed his plea to guilty at the last minute.

It came after he had already admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of a bladed article on a school premises.

During the sentencing, Judge Christine Laing told Dreimanis: ‘I fully accept you have had a very poor start in life.’

She also said she bore in mind the psychiatric reports from doctors, one of whom had diagnosed him with an ‘emotionally unstable personality order.’

‘The doctors all agree that you have a very poor ability to regulate your own emotions and that your mental state can change very rapidly and when it does, you often contemplate suicide,’ she said.

But she added: ‘It is quite clear you planned it.’

She also said: ‘I do accept that your aim was to get shot by the police but I’m without doubt that you would have garnered a considerable amount of satisfaction over the fear you would engender among the students and staff.’

Judge Laing also praised the ‘remarkable’ and ‘outstanding’ bravery of Mr Wilson and Mr Davidson who ran to detain Dreimanis while he was firing the gun.

She said: ‘Their bravery was utterly extraordinary and their instinctive desire to run straight at danger to protect students and other staff is one of the most remarkable things I have seen in this job.’

Richard Furlong, defending, argued that the judge should consider the young age of the offender and the psychiatric reports given to the court when it came to sentencing.

He said: ‘The court should very much bear in mind that the offender is aged just 18 and should make the appropriate reductions, as well as for the guilty plea, for sentence.

‘Overall, the picture that comes across in all of the reports is one of a very unfortunate and sad young man who, at a very young age, has made a very serious attempt to end his own life in the most public and grotesque way possible,’ he added.

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‘That act had very serious consequences for the public and for others but that picture of that young man at the end of his tether is something that I urge your honour to bear in mind.’

Judge Laing handed down a sentence of three years and nine months in a young offender institution for possession of an imitation firearm.

For assaulting Mr Wilson, she gave him 12 months and for assaulting Mr Davidson she handed down six months.

He was also given 21 months for possession of a bladed article on a school premises.

Judge Laing said the last three offences ‘aggravated each other’ and would therefore run concurrent to each but consecutively with the first charge of possessing an imitation firearm.

Dreimanis was therefore sentenced to a total of five years and six months.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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