Police found loaded sawn-off shotgun in shed belonging to violent Rugby man who went on the run to Spain

When the police were called over a Rugby man’s violence and threatening behaviour, they found a loaded sawn-off shotgun in a shed to which only he had a key.

But Joshua Nicholson fled the country to Spain before he could be caught – and was not arrested until after his return more than a year later.

Nicholson (29) of Egerton Close, Rugby, was jailed for five years, the minimum sentence he could be given after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to possessing a prohibited firearm.

He was given consecutive sentences totalling a further 25 months for offences of affray, assault, perverting the course of justice and malicious communication, which he had also admitted.

And Judge Peter Cooke told him he would have to serve two-thirds of the total sentence of seven years and one month before he can be released on licence.

Prosecutor Matthew Barnes said Nicholson fled from the scene of one violent attack, dropping a knife, and the next day he fled the country to Spain.

When the police arrived they searched a shed to which only Nicholson had a key and found a loaded sawn-off double-barrel shotgun and three spare cartridges – with his DNA on the trigger.

A European arrest warrant was issued for Nicholson - whose previous convictions included assaults, dealing in class A drugs and assaults on police officers - but he was finally arrested outside his home in September last year.

Preet-Paul Tutt, defending, said: “He presents as a troubled individual. At a young age he was diagnosed with ADHD, and at a young age he fell into the wrong crowd, his mother kicked him out and he began taking drugs.”

He said Nicholson had contracted Covid-19 while in custody, and had spent 21 days in his cell, not even being allowed out for a shower.

Mr Tutt added that there was ‘a degree of contrition and remorse,’ and referred the judge to various passages in the court files where he made apologies to various of his victims.

But Judge Peter Cooke commented: “You’re not taking me to page 101 where he says [in relation to the teenager he assaulted] ‘I bet he’s not so f***ing lippy now.’”

Jailing Nicholson, Judge Cooke told him: “I am dealing with offending in 2019, after which you went overseas to evade arrest for over a year.

“There is simply no lawful purpose for anybody to have a sawn-off shotgun, let alone a loaded one. You are lucky the prosecution didn’t charge you with a much graver offence.

“I don’t believe there is real remorse here.”