A Spalding man has been jailed.

A man who stole an air weapon from a Spalding shop before walking around the town centre with it has been jailed for 10 months last week at Northampton Crown Court.

Matthew Dye, of the town’s Stonegate, was convicted of eight offences in total, four of which took place on 31 May this year.

The court heard how Dye had reached behind the counter of Buy, Sell, Swap, an area reserved for staff only, and removed the air rifle; on leaving the store he said that he was going to rob a bank.

We soon received multiple calls into the Force Control Room from concerned members of the public who had spotted Dye walking around the town with the air rifle. A courageous witness called in to advise that he had taken the air rifle from Dye, that it was indeed empty, and that he had stowed the rifle safely in the boot of his car until officers arrived. The same witness described how Dye ‘fired off’ the weapon, albeit empty rounds, and that he also pointed it at a person in a wheelchair. Another witness also confirmed that Dye had pointed the weapon at them also. Dye was swiftly detained by officers and during his detention it came to light that he was also wanted for a number of other theft-related offences.

Forty-year-old Dye was found guilty of:

He pleaded guilty to a further two offences which took place the same day:

He also admitted an additional four offences which occurred in the Spalding area in May 2025:

Speaking after sentencing had been past, the officer leading on this case, DC Matt Wharton said: “This was an alarming and deeply concerning series of offences which understandably caused fear and distress within our community.  I want to acknowledge the courage of those direct and indirect victims of Dye’s behaviour.  There were several people who were subjected to these disturbing events and assisted our investigation – your support was invaluable. The critical evidence that key witness statements provide is often vital to the success of a case.

While we, in collaboration with our partners, remain committed to offering help and rehabilitation opportunities to those who commit offences within our community; our priority is the safety and wellbeing of the people of the town of Spalding and across Lincolnshire.  We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our residents, to ensure that those who threaten that safety are brought to justice.”