Leeds taxi driver jailed for keeping machine gun under bed
A taxi driver has been jailed for six years for keeping a machine gun and sawn-off shotgun under his bed.
The sentence came after police seized a sawn-off double barrel shotgun loaded with two live cartridges at an address in Harehills.
At Leeds Crown Court Anthony Scott was jailed for possessing a shot gun and M3 machine pistol.
He became the third person this week to be jailed for possessing guns in the city.
Scott, 48, of Naseby Grange, Burmantofts, told Judge Paul Hoffman he had found the weapons in a skip off Spen Lane and put them in a drawer under his bed.
He said: "I just thought they were interesting and took them with me".
Police raided his property on August 25 last year.
The court heard his elderly deaf mother had answered the door to the police and that Scott was her full-time carer.
Judge Hoffman told Scott he didn't believe his story.
He said: "So it follows the circumstances in which you received these
weapons are shrouded in mystery. The shotgun is nothing other than a criminal's weapon.
"The stock has been shortened, the barrel has been shortened and the stock has been bound with tape to prevent fingerprints adhering to it.
"The other was a machine pistol. There were two matching bullets for it capable of being fired from it. I cannot think of any other use for these guns than criminal use. I am quite certain that you knew that."
The Judge said he believed Scott was probably looking after the weapons for someone else.
Scott, who had pleaded guilty to all three charges, was given six years for each count of possessing firearms and three years for possession of live ammunition all to run concurrently.
Thursday's haul saw police discover the 12-bore shotgun as well as a further four live cartridges.
A quantity of crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis were also found together with approximately £300 cash.
Later a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and being in illegal possession Class A and Class B drugs.
A 51-year-old man from the same address was also arrested in connection with the seizures.
Earlier this week the YEP reported how a Judge was told machine guns and pump-action shotguns were readily available in Leeds.
The comments came during the sentencing of cousins Darren Winstanley, 39, and Richard Walker, 26, who were jailed for seven-and-a-half years each.
The pair admitted two charges of possessing firearms with intent to cause fear of violence, two charges of possessing prohibited firearms, possessing ammunition without certificate and possessing a firearm when prohibited.
West Yorkshire Police urged the public to report anyone suspected of carrying an illegal firearm on 0845 60 60 606 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
source:
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/
Login
Register
FAQ
