A drinking session in Crosland Moor ended with two men facing five years behind bars after a shotgun was fired inside a Basil Street house. Rajmund Dygas, 54, and David Paprocki, 48, were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, after pleading guilty to firearms offences, West Yorkshire Police confirmed.
The incident unfolded on Friday, 24 April, when neighbours called officers to Dygas’s property after hearing what they believed to be a gunshot. Officers arrived to find damage to an exterior wall and the interior of the address, consistent with the discharge of a firearm. Dygas and another man, Roman Karpeta, 58, had been drinking whiskey inside at the time. Paprocki, of Grosvenor Road in Dalton, later hid the side-by-side shotgun, which was recovered by a member of the public near Crosland Heath Golf Club along with spent and modified shells.
Forensic testing revealed the weapon’s overall length was less than 60cm, making it a prohibited firearm under the Firearms Act 1968. While charges against Karpeta were discontinued after no case was offered, both Dygas and Paprocki admitted their roles. Paprocki received an additional two-month concurrent sentence for driving while disqualified.
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Elly Buchanan, Senior Investigating Officer with the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said, “The possession and discharge of prohibited weapons is a serious matter, and this has been reflected in the terms given to Dygas and Paprocki. I hope these sentences send a clear message to those involved in such offending of the penalties they can expect.”
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
