Brazen burglar tells police he 'found guns on floor' at firearm shop break-in
A Doncaster burglar who claimed he found a number of stolen guns on the floor has been put behind bars.
On March 17, an intruder alarm was activated at a firearms store in Doncaster. Within two minutes of the alarm being sounded, an officer was on the scene and found Gavin Smedley with three firearms. When confronted by the officer, the 37-year-old dropped the weapons and was arrested.
Read more: 'My life paused when dad killed himself - now I'm finishing what he planned'
In a police interview, Smedley claimed he had been walking through the car park of the store when he saw the guns, which happened to be on the ground, and he picked them up. However, the hole which had been cut in the premises’ roof, as well as a wood saw which was recovered near to the scene, suggested otherwise.
Faced with the overwhelming amount of evidence against him, Smedley had no choice but to plead guilty to one charge of burglary and three counts of possessing a firearm without a certificate.
Get all the latest and breaking South Yorkshire court news straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter here.
On Thursday September 5, at Sheffield Crown Court, Smedley, of Old Hexthorpe, was sentenced to one year and 10 months in prison.
Arresting officer Response Constable Luke O’Donnell said: “We know the terror and pain gun crime causes within our local communities. The damage Smedley could have caused if he had been successful in stealing these guns cannot be understated. The use and illegal possession of these weapons is something we won’t tolerate here in South Yorkshire, and we are committed to targeting individuals linked to firearms offences.
“Anyone who is concerned or worried about gun crime or the use of firearms in their area should contact us on 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency, when a life is at risk or if a crime is in progress.”