Barkerend man Michael Stenhouse threatened company boss with sawn-off shotgun

Michael Stenhouse was high on cocaine when he carried out the bungled robbery at Bradlon in Peckover Street, Little Germany, Bradford.

He targeted a business where no money is kept and left his fingerprints behind, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

Stenhouse, 25, hid his face with a mask before threatening Simon Brayshaw, who was working alone in his office, at 9.45am on October 7.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sharp told the court Stenhouse was paranoid and suffering delusions because he was consuming vast quantities of cocaine and drinking to excess.

He ordered Mr Brayshaw to open the safe and then search drawers for money.

When none was found, Stenhouse apologised for troubling him.

The following night, Stenhouse was holding a noisy party at his home in Whiteman Street, Barkerend, Bradford, when two men turned up with a sword and firearm in pursuit of a £20,000 drug debt.

When they smashed the ground floor windows, Stenhouse seized his shotgun and fired it four times in his house, wounding a guest in the foot.

He rang the police and gave an incoherent account of what had happened.

Police recovered the gun from a nearby yard and seized an arsenal of weapons, including daggers, knives and Samurai swords from Stenhouse’s home.

Stenhouse pleaded guilty to attempting to rob Mr Brayshaw of a quantity of money while in possession of a sawn-off shotgun. He also admitted having the weapon with intent to cause unlawful violence and possession of a prohibited firearm with a shortened barrel.

Judge Colin Burn told Stenhouse they were “extremely serious offences.”

There could have been a “bloodbath” at his home when he discharged the gun.

In mitigation, Stenhouse’s barrister, Neil Clark, said the gun was not loaded during the robbery attempt. It was naive and he was always going to be caught.

Stenhouse did not aim the gun at anyone in his house. He intended to frighten the two men away, Mr Clark said.