Pair sentenced for supplying firearms and ammunition
56 converted firearms and ammunition were recovered from a garage block
Two men, from Berkshire, have been jailed for the part they played in an organised crime group (OCG) which converted blank firearms into live weapons.
Gary Worthington, 45, of William Ellis Close, Old Windsor, and Perry Phillips, aged 56, of Crimp Hill, Old Windsor, were both sentenced to seven years and two months’ imprisonment, at a hearing at Reading Crown Court.
Both men pleaded guilty to two offences under section 45 of the Serious Crime Act – encouraging or assisting the supply of firearms and supplying ammunition, at a previous hearing at the same court on 17 November last year.
This follows a South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) investigation into the OCG, which was sourcing bulk amounts of Turkish-manufactured top venting blank firing pistols and ammunition to convert into live handguns and ammunition, to sell onwards.
SEROCU officers executed a number of warrants in the Slough and Windsor areas on 11 October 2023.
During the warrants, 56 converted firearms and ammunition were recovered from a garage block off Ash Lane, Windsor, which was being used as a storage location. They were mostly vacuum sealed, with a pot of gun oil and a gun brush, ready for onward distribution. A cardboard box, found in the garage, was linked to the purchase of 25 blank-firing pistols purchased by Phillips and Worthington.
Officers found a makeshift gun-factory at a house in Talbot Place, Datchet, where 27 converted TVBF handguns, converted ammunition, some packaged for sale, and a number of tools, capable of being used in the conversion process, were found inside. Component firearm parts, paraphernalia, and packaging from blank-firing pistols were also seized.
On 19 October 2023, officers arrested Worthington at home. A mobile phone was seized from him showing contact between himself and a ‘Mr Nobody’.
During the wider investigation, SEROCU officers established Mr Nobody to be Paul Lynam, formerly of Hannah Gardens, Waterlooville, Hampshire. In February this year he was sentenced to 16 years and six months’ imprisonment at Portsmouth Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons, two counts of conspiracy to sell or transfer ammunition and money laundering. A further 70 converted firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were located and seized by police.
Three other members of the OCG also received substantial custodial sentences at previous court hearings linked to this investigation.
Phillips was arrested on 5 December 2023. Both men’s phones linked them to other members of the OCG and it was established that both had been involved in the purchase and transport of weapons and ammunition. The converted TVBFs and ammunition was distributed to the criminal fraternity across the country via the use of an encrypted chat application.
They were charged in connection with the offences on 21 May 2024 and sentenced on Monday 1 June.
Detective Superintendent Ben Lee, of SEROCU, said: “The sentencing of Worthington and Phillips marks the conclusion to this complex SEROCU investigation launched in September 2023 into an organised crime group. The OCG was converting Turkish-manufactured top venting blank firearms into live weapons on an industrial scale.
“While thankfully firearms crime in the UK is among the lowest in the world, these weapons can, and do, have lethal consequences and would have undoubtedly been used to commit criminal acts.
“At the time Worthington and Phillips were purchasing them, these blank firers were legal to own however this is now not the case as Turkish TVBFs have been found to be readily convertible, making them illegal to own under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968.
“The roles the pair played - purchasing and transporting weapons and ammunition - formed a pivotal part of the criminal activities of this OCG.
“This case demonstrates our unwavering efforts to ensure the communities in the south east and beyond are protected from the threat posed by serious and organised crime, including the criminal use of firearms.”
If you have any information about gun crime in your community, please report this to your local police force via the 24-hour emergency number 101. Call 999 in an emergency. You can also report this to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.