Cannock teenager jailed after police found gun 'capable of killing' and bullets in car he was driving
A teenage boy from Cannock has been jailed for over three years after police found a handgun in a car in Stoke-on-Trent.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Officers from Staffordshire Police's city proactive team stopped a Fiat Punto in Weston Coyney on 24 June last year after reports it was being driven erratically.
A further search of the vehicle then uncovered a handgun from a cavity inside the driver’s door and bullets.
Officers arrested the boy and found three cars keys in his possession, one of which was for the Fiat.
DNA checks on the gun’s trigger and guard area returned matches for the boy, who was charged with the offences and taken to court.
The boy, aged 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons because of his age, was sentenced to 40 months in prison at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Thursday (March 13) after he previously admitted possession of a firearm and possessing ammunition for a firearm without a certificate.
Detective Sergeant Marc Proctor from the police's city proactive team, said: “This weapon was capable of killing somebody and has been taken off our streets through some good proactive policing.
“I want local communities to know that we’re working extremely hard every single day to compile intelligence and to act robustly against the gangs and individuals responsible for serious offences like this across Staffordshire.
"More than 1,000 people have been arrested on suspicion of drug and weapon offences since we launched our crackdown in May 2023, and more will follow as we continue to take action.”
