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Cumbria
Girl, 14, avoided Derrick Bird's gunshot
Bird killed 12 people and injured a further 11 A schoolgirl has told an inquest how she ducked to the ground to avoid a blast from the shotgun of Derrick Bird during his rampage across Cumbria.
Ashleigh Glaister, who was 14 at the time, had been called over by Bird to his taxi.
When the teenager reached his open passenger side window, she noticed the gun in the vehicle.
Bird, a 52-year-old taxi driver, killed 12 people and injured 11 before shooting himself on 2 June 2010.
Miss Glaister said: "My first instinct was to put my hands up to my ears and then to put my head down and duck."
Bird's shot flew over her as she crouched down beside his car.
'Second bang'She ran off in tears, and he shot again.
She said: "I heard the second bang when his car was halfway up the hill and I was at the bottom.
"I looked around and I could see his car still there and I kept on running."
Ashleigh took shelter at her sister Rachel's home in Thornhill, near Egremont, Cumbria, as Bird sped off.
CCTV footage played to the jury showed Bird's silver Citroen Picasso turn on to the Thornhill housing estate from the A595.
Bird shot many of his victims in the face with his .22 rifle It captured him as he had just left Egremont and killed two of his 12 victims, Susan Hughes and Kenneth Fishburn.
The pictures from a stationary bus then pick up Bird pulling out of the estate after firing at Ashleigh and heading back on to the A595 away from Egremont.
He then drove on towards the village of Wilton, where he went on to kill mole catcher Isaac Dixon.
Earlier the inquest heard that a Cumbrian paramedic was told to turn away from Whitehaven on 2 June last year, for his own safety.
Taxi driver Darren Rewcastle had just been shot dead when paramedic Kevin Wright was called to the scene.
But when he arrived he was told "stay well back". He later helped a man who needed to have his hand amputated.
Self-defenceA statement from Mr Wright was read to the inquest.
He had just arrived in a fast-response car when his control base rang to tell him to leave, the hearing was told.
Derrick Bird shot himself But as he was driving away, he was flagged down by two police officers in Coach Road, where taxi driver Terry Kennedy had just been shot.
Mr Wright treated Mr Kennedy, who had to have his right hand amputated after putting it up to his face in self-defence.
Mr Wright tried to call an ambulance, but was told one could not be sent because it was not "safe".
An ambulance eventually arrived 30 minutes later and Mr Wright went back to West Cumberland Hospital after being told there was a risk the Bird could return to the area.
The inquest also heard how Dr Guy Bickerton, who was based at West Cumberland Hospital and due at work, was told not to leave his home while the rampage was ongoing.
He later formally declared Susan Hughes dead at about 1315 BST after she was shot in the head and chest near her home in Egremont as she returned from shopping in Whitehaven.
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Feed: BBC News - Home
Posted on: Thursday, March 10, 2011 9:41 PM
Author: BBC News - Home
Subject: Bird shooting medic 'sent away'
| A paramedic on an emergency call was told to leave Whitehaven while gunman Derrick Bird was on his shooting rampage, an inquest hears. |
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