Young father caught with machete, cannabis, and pistol in industrial estate jailed for five years
A 23-year-old father has been jailed for five years after being caught in a stolen car with drugs, a machete, a gun and ammunition.
Danny Brough, of Keats Road, Wolverhampton, was spotted in a car at Willenhall Trading Estate by police officers on the evening of March 11 this year.
He was in a Volkswagen Taigo, which had been stolen and was worth £20,000, and he did not have a driving licence.
After searching him officers found keys to a van which, when searched, was found to contain an adapted self-loading pistol with ammunition inside. Cannabis and a machete were also found.
At first Brough denied to police officers the gun and ammo were anything to do with him but he eventually pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, ammunition, cannabis and a machete.
Brough was sentenced on Monday at Wolverhampton Crown Court, sitting at Telford Magistrates Court, though the defendant appeared via video link from HMP Birmingham.
Prosecuting, Charles Crinion said: "The defendant was found in a stolen car, in which there was a machete. Officers also found keys to a Transit van which was nearby in Willenhall Industrial Estate. When searched a self-loading pistol was found, along with ammunition.
"Ballistics examination found it was an adapted pistol which previously used to fire blanks."
Mitigating for Brough, Justin Jarmola said: "Since being remanded, the defendant has had a child with his long-term partner. Due to prison not being an appropriate place for a young baby, he has yet to see his child. This is the first taste of custody and his mental health has suffered."
Recorder Richard McConaghy told Brough the charge of possessing a firearm carried a minimum five-year sentence.
He said: "You were found in an industrial estate in Wednesfield, at around 8pm. You were in a stolen car, you admitted to having a machete.
"You were linked to a van nearby which was registered in your name. Hidden in the van was a self-loading pistol with ammunition. The weapon had been adapted from a blank firearm.
"This is not the first time you have been before a court but this is the most serious. I am told your mental health has suffered whilst in custody, and you were addicted to heroin at the time of these offences. I'm afraid these problems are down to you.
"The sentence for possession of a firearm is five years, unless there are exceptional circumstances, and in this case there are none.
"This gun could only have been to be used for a criminal purpose."
Brough was given credit for his guilty plea and received a sentence of five years for possessing the firearm.
For possession of the machete Brough was given 18 months, for the ammunition he was given 12 months, and for the cannabis 12 weeks, all to run concurrently with his five-year sentence.