It pays to have a gun when you really need one.

Bedeviled by a painful wart that no cream, ointment or doctor could cure, Sean Murphy reportedly decided to try a radical — and permanent — at-home procedure. His surgical tool: a 12-bore Beretta shotgun.

In a move that seems fitting of the Wild West, rather than modern England, the security guard fortified himself with a healthy dose of the local anaesthetic — in lager form, naturally — stretched out his left hand, aimed, and pulled the trigger.

Unfortunately for Murphy, the blast had collateral damage. According to The Telegraph, it blew off nearly the entire middle finger on his left hand, and left the 38-year-old facing possible prison time for illegal possession of a firearm.

With just a stump to show for his efforts, Murphy appeared in court earlier this week and was handed a suspended 16-week prison sentence and 100 hours of community service.