Man with gun who told armed police in Ipswich to shoot him before being tasered is jailed

Osvaldo Cardoso

Imprisoning Osvaldo Cardoso, of Duke Street, for two years Judge Rupert Overbury told him: “We are living in very troubled times where weapons are being produced in public areas to cause fear, harm, and - just last weekend - a huge loss of life (in Tunisia).

“Firearms, whether they are imitations or not, are frightening.”

During Osvaldo Cardoso’s Ipswich Crown Court sentencing prosecutor Matthew Morgan said after putting the gun down the 34-year-old walked outside of his block of flats in Duke Street and told officers: “Come on shoot me, arrest me. I’ll go to jail for free.”

Police subsequently had to fire a Taser at Cardoso before arresting him

Cardoso had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Mr Morgan said the offence occurred shortly after 10.30am on February 1.

Witnesses saw Cardoso in a communal doorway of the flats where he lived shouting and appearing to be holding a black handgun.

Another saw Cardoso waving the gun around with his finger on the trigger, but not pointing the weapon at anyone.

Cardoso also went into Tesco in Duke Street after appearing to be angry and aggressive.

He held the gun in both hands, but still did not appear to be pointing it at anyone.

Cardoso told a female member of staff it was to scare neighbours who he claimed had been noisy.

He showed the worker that the gun was not loaded.

Police were called and armed officers saw Cardoso holding the gun while on the balcony of his flat.

He then came out of the flats without the imitation firearm, which was a spring-loaded BB gun.

Mr Morgan said Cardoso’s behaviour was aggressive and after telling police they could shoot him he was tasered.

The replica gun was subsequently found in his flat.

Cardoso, who was working in customer services at a Travelodge hotel at the time, arrived in Ipswich a year before his arrest.

In 2005 he had come to the UK from Portugal to work. but had racked up four previous convictions for seven offences.

His counsel Jo Eley said Cardoso had little recollection of the incident and had been drinking excessively the night before.

Judge Overbury said when police arrived they were concerned for the safety of people in the area, as well as for themselves.

Part of a statement from an armed police sergeant read: “Due to my fear for the safety of all these people I drew my Glock, aimed it at the male, shouting at him to drop his gun. I could also hear other officers challenging the male.”