GUN STUNNER
Man who tried to steer offenders away from crime is jailed for carrying weapon
A MAN who tried to steer offenders away from crime is behind bars himself – after being caught with a sub-machine gun.
Steven Wilkinson was snared in August after police swooped on a car in Glasgow’s Springburn.
Officers found the Skorpion gun, ammunition and a silencer in the Seat Leon.
Wilkinson was jailed for six years when he returned to the High Court in Glasgow yesterday, having earlier pled guilty to a string of firearms charges.
Tony Lenehan, defending, said the 43-year-old had been involved in a rehabilitation organisation for offenders as recently as 2015.
The advocate added: “He was engaged in the running of a men’s group providing a positive influence, outlining the mistakes he had made in his life.”
Judge Lady Rae remarked: “Rather odd… Here we are facing very serious charges in the high court.
“What kind of influence is that to the people he was trying to assist?”
Sentencing Wilkinson, of the city’s Scotstoun, she told him: “The weapon had the capability of repeatedly firing with one pressure of the trigger.
“Such a weapon in this day and age is suitable for one purpose and one purpose only – to kill a human being.
“There is no evidence you were to carry out any assassination. It has been submitted that you were simply taking the item from one place to another. But, you knew fine well what you were carrying.” Wilkinson gave a thumbs up to supporters in the public gallery as he was led to the cells. The court earlier heard how police had got a tip-off about the car. Officers traced it to Springburn and spoke to Wilkinson, who appeared “agitated”. When he was asked if there was anything on him or in the vehicle that could injure, he replied: “There’s a gun in the front passenger seat.” A bag was found which contained the Czech-made weapon, ammunition and the silencer. The court heard Wilkinson was caught after he had been asked to move the items to a different address.