Girl shot with paintball gun

A TEENAGER shot a young girl with a paintball gun “for a laugh” as she chatted to a friend by the roadside.
Jamie Oldroyd, from Heather Close, Birchwood, Warrington hit the teenage girl in the leg with one of the paint balls after firing several shots towards the two girls from the passenger seat of a passing car.
He pleaded guilty at Warrington Crown Court to causing actual bodily harm, affray and possessing an offensive weapon.
The court heard Oldroyd, 18, was being driven up and down a road in Birchwood in a car playing loud music. He had the paintball gun on his lap.
Steven Hoolohan, prosecuting, said when one of the girls realised Oldroyd had the paintball gun, she started to run off. But the youth opened fire towards them, striking one of the girls on the leg.
Mr Hoolohan said the victim suffered extensive bruising to her leg as a result being hit.
Simon Leong, defending, said Oldroyd had not gone cruising looking for victims and wasn’t firing at anyone in particular. At the time, he thought it was a laugh. He had not wished to cause any injury to anyone, and had shown sincere remorse since the incident.
Judge David Hale told the defendant: “You were doing it for a laugh with your friends and it hurt this girl and shocked her. It is a serious matter and you are therefore leaving the court no option other than a custodial sentence.”
He sentenced Oldroyd to 12-months in a young offenders institution.