A GUNMAN with a low IQ who shot at a police car during a high speed chase in Worcester tried to flush bullets from the gun down a McDonald's toilet.

Gerard Doherty, who pulled the trigger, was ruled to be a dangerous offender and jailed for 14 years at Worcester Crown Court last Friday. The shot was fired from a pistol by the 21-year-old front seat passenger on March 10 last year during the chase on the A449. The defendants reached speeds of more than 120mph, narrowly missing an oil tanker, before crashing into the central reservation and ploughing into two cars in Blackpole, one containing a 16 month old baby. Doherty and his co-defendants, Kyle Ryley, 23, and Ciaran Irvine, 20, fled the scene. Doherty, who was described as having a 'low IQ' by his barrister, ultimately ended up in McDonald's in Blackpole.

Tom Kenning, prosecuting, said: "CCTV footage will show that he entered the the disabled toilet of McDonald's very shortly after a customer and very shortly before another."

One customer found 'two bullets in the lavatory bowl of the disabled toilet'. Doherty was arrested at 1.05pm nearby with a cut on his hand and a scratch on his face. Mr Kenning said: "He said that he had been in a fight and that he was there (in McDonald's) to pick up his girlfriend."

A scene of crimes officer found Doherty's fingerprints on the grab rail in the disabled toilet.

Between them the gang, who had been 'tooled up' with an assortment of weapons were jailed for 33 years.Weapons including a shotgun, a machete, an axe, two knives and ammunition. Doherty of Oxford Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, was jailed for 14 years - an 11 year prison sentence with an extended licence period of three years. He must serve at least two thirds of the sentence behind bars after he admitted possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life in relation to a handgun and a shotgun, possession of shotgun cartridges with intent to endanger life and three counts of possession of an offensive weapon - a machete, an axe and a knife.