Two men facing prison time after being found with firearms in stolen vehicle

Two men who travelled nearly 100 miles to buy firearms were caught out after being stopped in a stolen vehicle.

Joseph Steele, 34, of Brewery Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Shera Virk, 24, of Golf Lane, Leamington Spa, have been found guilty of three counts of possession of a firearm and one charge of possession of ammunition after travelling from Warwickshire to Sheffield in March last year.

The two were stopped by officers in Nottinghamshire in the stolen vehicle and were found to be in possession of three firearms which had been converted from blank firing into viable firearms.

READ MORE: Hunt for three men after horror pool cue attack in Huddersfield

READ MORE: Missing Peter from Hoyland live search updates as police concerns grow

On Friday last week Steele and Virk were found guilty of all charges following a three-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Both were remanded into custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

South Yorkshire Police said as part of its investigation into the illegal conversion of blank firing weapons and ammunition into viable firearms and ammunition, four men have previously been convicted and are waiting for be sentencing.

Zakaria West, 29, of Tythe Barn Way, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell or transfer prohibited weapons and conspiring to manufacture, sell or transfer ammunition. Arron Ward, 30, of Smelter Wood Crescent, Sheffield, was found guilty of the same offences following a trial in October 2024. At the same trial, Danny Milner, of Gresley Walk, Sheffield, was also found guilty of conspiring to sell or transfer prohibited weapons.

Andrew Loton, 35, of Bramshill Close, Sheffield, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell or transfer prohibited weapons and conspiring to manufacture, sell or transfer ammunition at an earlier hearing.