The woman heard a noise in her living room, then saw a man leaving the house covered in blood

A woman was drinking a smoothie in the kitchen when she heard a bang and saw a man come out of her house covered in blood.

Anthony McCall incredibly escaped with relatively minor injuries after accidentally shooting himself in the face following a house party. He then told the police officers, “I don’t know how I’m still alive boss.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard this week that Merseyside Police received information that a man with a gunshot wound to the mouth was seen outside an address on Derbyshire Hill Road in St Helens shortly before midday on February 19 of this year. Officers attended the scene and found McCall, of Valiant Close, Croxteth, on nearby Ashtons Green Drive.

READ MORE: Prison workers fell ‘in love’ with inmates and ended up crying in court

READ MORE: Gun hidden in Sainsbury’s bag and £10,000 cash found hidden in abandoned car

Gerald Baxter, prosecuting, described the 36-year-old as “uncooperative” but added that he “clearly” had the facial injuries that were reported. He told the PCs, “The bullet hit me directly in the cheek.

“I don’t know how I’m still alive boss. I’m here with a bullet in my cheek.

“I was shot, yes. I was shot with an eight mily.”

However, McCall did not say when or how the incident occurred or if others were involved. He was taken to Aintree Hospital by ambulance with only a “small puncture in the area under his lower lip” and “many loose and dislocated teeth”, the bullet apparently lodged in his left cheek.

Owner Andrea Parr was later found cleaning up blood inside the property where the firearm had been discharged. Her daughter, Ellie Smith, had also been present at the time and told police that McCall had stayed there overnight before she and another man, named Kaylyn, visited a cafe for breakfast.

She and the defendant had then returned to her home in a taxi. The witness recalled being in the kitchen when she “heard a loud bang” and turned to see him injured and leaving the address.

The gun was later recovered from a garage behind the premises. It was described as a black FN Browning self-loading pistol, dating from 1922, but was in “good condition” although a round had jammed in the chamber.

A magazine found near the gun contained six .32 caliber cartridges. McCall made no comment to detectives interviewed after his arrest, but told the court he discovered the gun hidden in a pillow on the living room sofa following a party.

He is banned from possessing any firearms for life due to a previous conviction for robbery which saw him jailed for five years in 2009. His criminal record also shows offenses of wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, conduct of menacing, dangerous driving, aggravation. vehicle taking, interfering with a motor vehicle, theft, driving without pay, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, criminal damage, obstructing police, breach of court orders and failure to surrender to bail.

The court was also read a statement from Ms Smith, in which she recalled visiting a shop to buy a smoothie and alcohol after returning from a cafe on Cambridge Road. She described McCall pouring himself a drink of vodka and walking into the living room.

Mrs Smith then stated: “I was sitting in the kitchen. I went back to get my smoothie and drink it.

“I heard a loud bang. I turned towards him, but he was gone and went ahead.”

Ms Smith later looked outside and asked a passer-by to call an ambulance for McCall, who she said she first met on the day of the party. She added: “I don’t think there is anything in this house that would cause that injury or make that noise.”

A charge of possession of a prohibited firearm usually results in a minimum sentence of five years. However, this can be avoided in “exceptional circumstances”.

Ian Whitehurst, defending, told the court: “What cannot be disputed in this case is that he did, in fact, shoot himself. The defendant stated that it was an attempted suicide, to be clear.

“The Crown said it was possible a tragic accident or something went wrong. In my opinion, there is no evidence to support this claim.

“The defendant was quite honest and open. He wanted to take his own life.

“It is more likely that this was a suicide attempt. The tragic event that occurred on that day in question represents exceptional circumstances.

“I ask the court to take into account his previous mental state. Critically, now, there is an improvement in the defendant since incarceration.

“He’s getting counseling. He is now drug-free, which has also improved his mental and physical condition.

“Although he has a record, there are no previous convictions for firearms offences. There are a number of supporting testimonies filed on his behalf.”

McCall admitted possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of a firearm when prohibited for life, possession of ammunition without a certificate and possession of ammunition when prohibited for life. He was sentenced to five years and four months in prison on Tuesday.

Sentencing, Judge David Aubrey KC said: “The court has reflected on the evidence you have given. This court is quite pleased, so it is certain that you are not telling the truth about how you came into possession. of the firearm.

“It is an implausible account. In the court’s judgment, there are a number of areas of your evidence that are found to be lacking.

“This court is satisfied that this weapon was your weapon. No matter how long you’ve had that gun, it’s not possible to fix it.

“But you retained that weapon. This court is satisfied that the weapon was not discharged with an intent or effort to take your life, but was discharged accidentally—no doubt while under the influence of drink or drugs.

“You are no stranger to these courts. You have a number of previous convictions.

“There is no evidence before this court to indicate whether any firearm was used, but this firearm, in the court’s opinion, could only have been in your possession for a criminal purpose. Guns are a cancer in our midst.

“They are owned by criminals for power and control. They are frequently used by criminals to either grab, kill or cause serious injury.

“Those who are tempted to be in possession of loaded firearms must anticipate receiving a suspended sentence from the courts. At the time of the commission of these offences, you were suffering from depression, but in my opinion there is no cause or connection between your depression and the fact that you were in possession of a loaded firearm.”

Don’t miss the biggest and breaking stories by subscribing to the Echo Daily newsletter here