Cinema gunman may have had 'suicide by cop' motive

The cinema was put into lockdown after the incident

A gunman who fired shots at a cinema, shop and house may have wanted to die by "suicide by cop", a court has heard.

Leslie Garrett shot at a newsagents in the Norris Green area of Liverpool on 3 January before firing his gun outside the Showcase Cinema in Croxteth and at a property in nearby Malpas Road.

While no-one was hurt, the 49-year-old faced a life sentence for gun offences.

Judge David Aubrey KC said he wanted more psychiatric reports and adjourned sentencing until 6 June.

Garrett's lawyer Paul Lewis said a forensic psychiatrist, Inti Qurashi, had observed his client's "complicated and difficult mental health history" after he had "opened up" about his motivation for the shooting spree.

The judge said that when previously asked for an explanation, Garrett had said it had been a "moment of madness" and "senseless".

Judge Aubrey suggested Garrett had never before "positively asserted" he carried out the shooting so as to be shot by armed police responders, but that "suicide by cop" was Dr Qurashi's suggestion.

But prosecutor David Birrell pointed out: "The motivation is the doctor's interpretation."

'Fear of violence'

The Crown Prosecution Service will now order its own psychiatrist to assess Garrett.

He has admitted possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, attempted robbery and possession of ammunition without a certificate.

The court heard Garrett was now claiming to have agreed to look after "an item" for money and had later discovered it was a gun and ammunition.

He claimed the real owner was arrested and remanded into custody, so he held the items for longer than anticipated, causing him "stress and anxiety".

Garrett said he had been suffering from poor mental health at the time.

In a document seen in court, he wrote: "I committed the offences with the wish to be killed by police attending the scene."

Garrett, of Ternhall Road, Fazakerley, was remanded into custody until 6 June.