Nearly 50 years’ worth of prison sentences have been issued after Nottinghamshire Police made the biggest recovery of improvised firearms in its history – while exposing a drugs conspiracy too.
Eight of the so-called ‘slam guns’ as well as shotgun cartridges were found inside one Nottingham house, while a loaded pistol and magazines of ammunition for the gun were at another.
Bulk quantities of drugs were discovered inside both addresses, with cannabis also found growing – in some cases on an industrial level – at four other linked properties across the city.
Ringleader Christopher Jones was central to all the firearm and drugs offences, with associate Lee Blake housing the slam guns, and Sophie Wootton, Drew Williamson and Joanne Allen involved to various degrees.
The slam guns and several shotgun cartridges compatible with the firearms were seized from a cupboard by officers while they were executing a warrant in Thomas Close, St Ann’s, on 3 November 2022.
Each of the homemade weapons looked alike, with two pieces of pipe fitted together with a firing pin designed to slam and discharge a single shot. The eight recovered represented a record for the Nottinghamshire Police area.
Within the same address – owned by Lee Blake – more ammunition was found that matched a handgun recovered days earlier in Barry Street, Bulwell. That weapon was forensically examined and pointed police to Blake when his DNA was found on it.
Officers initially attended Barry Street on 23 October, after receiving an unrelated report about Sophie Wootton, the then girlfriend of Christopher Jones.
After police arrived and spotted cannabis was being grown at the address, they searched it further and ultimately seized a viable handgun, two magazines’ worth of ammunition, and a box of shotgun cartridges.
Some of the ammunition and cannabis recovered by police
Approximately two-and-a-half kilos of cannabis with an estimated street value of up to £20,000 was within the address too, along with around £55,000 in cash.
Police caught up with Jones on 26 October when he and Drew Williamson were seen leaving a house in Knowles Walk, Arnold, and getting into a vehicle together, which was duly stopped by officers.
Ten kilos of cannabis was found in the boot of the car, with a further 14 kilos then seized when the address they’d just left was searched.
A one kilo block of cocaine and thousands of pounds of cash were also recovered from the Knowles Walk property. The total estimated value of the drugs seized from the address and the car totalled an estimated street value of up to £333,000.
Three further properties linked to Jones – in Egypt Road, Basford, Raymede Drive, Bestwood, and Deepdene Way, Broxtowe – were all later found to be housing cannabis grows to varying degrees.
The latter discovery was made by officers on 27 October, with Joanne Allen the next person to be detained by police when they located her inside that house.
Allen admitted to the charge of producing cannabis put to her, while Blake pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing ammunition without a certificate, and supplying cannabis.
Jones, Wootton, and Williamson also pleaded guilty to supplying cannabis but denied the rest of the offences they’d been charged with – although none of them were able to convince the jury in the resulting eight-week trial, which concluded on 17 January.
Jones was convicted of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing a prohibited firearm, possessing ammunition without a certificate, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possessing with intent to supply cocaine, and possessing criminal property.
Wootton was found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing a prohibited firearm, possessing ammunition without a certificate, and possessing criminal property.
Williamson was convicted of possessing with intent to supply cocaine and possessing criminal property.
All five returned to Nottingham Crown Court to be sentenced today (31 March), where they were jailed for a combined 47 years.
- Jones, 33, of Glamis Road, Sherwood, was jailed for 25 years.
- Wootton, 32, of Broxtowe Lane, Aspley, received an eight year prison sentence.
- Blake, 40, of Thomas Close, St Ann’s, received a nine year extended prison sentence. He will serve six years in custody, before remaining on licence for a further three years.
- Williamson, 28, of Knowles Walk, Arnold, was jailed for five years.
- Allen, 56, of Deepdene Way, Broxtowe, received a 12 month sentence, suspended for two years. She must also complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Detective Inspector Chris Berryman, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Seizing these firearms represented a big win for the people of Nottinghamshire, whose safety their presence would’ve otherwise put at risk.
“In fact, the detection of the eight slam guns during this operation made it the biggest discovery of its kind that we’ve seen in our policing area.
“On top of that, a handgun and a range of different ammunition was also found at a separate address that had links to the other one.
“It can’t be stressed enough how dangerous and serious an offence it is to be in possession of a lethal firearm, whether that be a viable handgun or an improvised one like a slam gun.
“The sentences passed to Jones, Blake and Wootton should serve as a warning to anyone else thinking of getting mixed up in gun crime about the penalties they could face.
“In addition to the firearms seizures, we were also able to uncover and disrupt a drugs supply operation, led by Jones, that involved the production of cannabis on an industrial scale.
“Following an extensive investigation that involved countless hours of police work, we were really pleased to see the strong case we built help secure each of these convictions, with the high total custodial sentences issued today just reward for these efforts.”
