Organised crime gang jailed for over 80 years for converting firearms
Two of them also planned to mass-produce crystal meth
Five members of an organised crime gang have been jailed for converting blank firing guns into deadly weapons.
They all admitted conspiring to sell or transfer prohibited weapons.
31-year-old Dudley Brennan operated under the cover of his motorcycle repair business in Kendal, converting firearms for criminals from Cumbria to Somerset.
He was sentenced to 22 years and three months in jail.
40-year-old Peter Weston, of Liverpool, coordinate their organised crime group, and was sentenced to 26 years and nine months behind bars.
Brennan was involved in converting and selling weapons, including two submachine guns and pistols.
The duo were aiming to sell the weapons for gangs to use in feuds and turf-wars.
Brennan and Weston also planned to mass-produce crystal meth in a mobile lab.
They both admitted conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Three other members of their gang were also sentenced.
Other sentences
29-year-old Ryan Pilling of Wigan Road, Ashton, followed Weston’s instructions and directed other members.
He was sentenced to 13 years and seven months in prison.
32-year-old Daniel Fitzgerald of Winstanley Road, Wigan, ordered ten weapons for Brennan to convert.
He was jailed for eight years.
27-year-old Joshua Ee, of Malvern Avenue, Doncaster, liaised with a customer in Spain about buying a converted gun, and his DNA was found on a recovered converted weapon from a vehicle in Widnes.
He was jailed for 13 years and six months.
"They were a real danger to the public."
National Crime Agency branch commander Cat McHugh said: “Brennan and the group were only interested in making money and didn’t care at all about the harm these firearms could do in our communities. They were a real danger to the public.
“Tackling the criminal use of firearms is an NCA priority and we will continue doing everything in our power to achieve that.”