A TEENAGER who falsely told police in a hoax phone call he had shot a man has been jailed after a judge blasted him for his ‘unbelievably stupid’ actions.

Callum Walker, of Wavell Gardens, Slough, phoned 999 to tell them he was the police’s prime suspect in an attempted murder investigation.

This came after a man was shot at Britwell Youth Centre at 9.18 pm on March 26, 2020.

READ MORE: Two sentenced over shotgun shooting

Walker called police a day later using a different name to tell them of his supposed involvement in the shooting, when in fact he had no involvement whatsoever.

Police went out to arrest Walker and deployed firearms officers to his address where he lived with his mother and brothers aged five, ten and 16-years-old.

Officers had to rehouse the 19-year-old’s family while they carried out extensive searches of the property and CCTV.

According to Her Honour Judge Heather Norton, Walker’s tip-off cost police the first 60 hours in their investigation, time she said was ‘critical’ in developing their picture of what happened.

It meant that police largely sidelined information they received about Michael Omitiran, of Webb Close, Slough, who was one of two men later sentenced for their involvement in the shooting.

READ MORE: Slough pair involved in shotgun shooting labelled 'cowardly'

The other man was Billy Merryweather, of Wentworth Avenue, Slough, and in January 2021 both men were sentenced to 24 years in prison for shooting at a 26-year-old man through a van window.

The two masked men - who were known to the victim - approached the vehicle and shot at him, hitting him in the shoulder with the bullet becoming lodged in his chest. The pair then fled the scene.

Slough Observer:

Walker knew of Merryweather but Judge Norton said police found no evidence the 19-year-old was pressured by the latter to make the call and that their connection was merely a coincidence.

She said his decision to tell police he was their prime suspect was ‘beyond understanding’ and speculated that he might have done it for excitement or with potential compensation in mind.

“Whatever it was, it was unbelievably stupid”, the Judge added.

READ MORE: Teenager arrested in Slough shooting probe

Following an April trial, Walker was convicted of one count of perverting the course of justice after he denied the charge against him.

Defending, Edward Butler argued for a suspended sentence as he claimed his client did not intend to obstruct the police’s investigation and that he was the only one who suffered consequences from his actions having been arrested.

But Judge Norton immediately dismissed this plea and sentenced Walker to ten months in a youth offender’s institution.

He will serve half this sentence before being eligible for release.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Howard, of the Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit, said: “The police investigation has been unable to establish the reason why Callum Walker called the police on 27 March 2020 implicating himself in a shooting which he had no involvement in.

“I am sure that many people reading about this case will think that this is a bizarre set of circumstances, but his actions that evening had very serious consequences.

“It led to his arrest by armed officers in a planned operation which put those officers involved, Walker’s family including his younger siblings, his neighbours and Walker himself at completely unnecessary risk. This took place a few days into the first national lockdown as a result of the COVID pandemic.

“By taking this action it meant that the investigation team’s ability to identify, locate and arrest the actual offenders was significantly hampered for a number of days. This enabled the offenders to avoid arrest and to try to cover their tracks by disposing of key evidence including the firearms used in the shooting.

“The offenders still had access to these firearms whilst they remained at large and therefore presented a significant risk to others, including the general public given the way in which the shooting was carried out.  

“Deliberately hampering a police investigation by providing false or malicious information is an extremely serious matter, especially when the investigation relates to a serious criminal offence. This is demonstrated by the custodial sentence passed down by the court today.

“Anybody who provides false or malicious information designed to hinder a police investigation can expect to be the subject of a thorough and robust police investigation and in such cases we will continue to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute those responsible.”

Walker was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Friday, October 1.