Gloucester man jailed for possessing sawn-off shotgun

A Gloucester man who tried to evade police by running off naked has been jailed after pleading guilty to possessing a sawn-off shotgun.

Scott McGuinness, aged 32 and of Lattistep Court, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court.

As well as admitting to possessing a prohibited weapon, namely a firearm of less than 30cm, McGuinness also pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon, namely a flick knife, and possession of the class B drug cannabis.

Following intelligence gathered on McGuinness, police raided his flat in Lattistep Court last October (2023).

CCTV footage had shown him carrying a bundle of clothing, which also contained a black, grey and white striped object, into the communal car park and placing the items in a compartment under the seat of a moped.

When officers entered his flat on the evening of Friday 7 October, McGuinness jumped from a window onto the street at the front of the building completely naked and attempted to run away. However, police were able to stop and arrest him.

A search of the flat found two grams of herbal cannabis, worth about £20, and a flick knife in a drawer in his kitchen table.

A set of keys to the moped, also found in the flat, were then used to open up the vehicle's seat lock box, revealing a sawn-off side-by-side 12 gauge shot gun, wrapped in a black, grey and white scarf, and underneath a black jacket.

In mitigation, the court was told that McGuinness was deemed as vulnerable and had only been holding the weapon for a short time.

McGuinness was jailed for five years at the sentencing on Wednesday 21 February.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Constabulary's Serious and Organised Crime Unit, which lead the investigation, said: "This is a tremendous result which has taken a viable weapon off our streets.

"Despite McGuinness claiming that he was vulnerable and that he had no intention of using the shotgun, this was undermined by the aggressive nature of the text messages found on his phone.

"Thanks to the work of our officers, we have been able to ensure that this weapon has been taken out of his hands and has now been safely disposed."

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