Criminal gun suppliers are jailed
Weapons and ammo seized in raids
TWO Valley men have been jailed for more than 25 years for conspiracy to convert and supply firearms.
Vincent Joyce, 40, of Rawtenstall, was sentenced to 14 years at Preston Crown Court and codefendant Stephen Flatley, 54, of Waterfoot, was sentenced to 11 years and six months.
It follows an investigation led by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).
Raids on addresses including a garage on Burnley Road and Barritt Road, in Rawtenstall, recovered nine firearms, ammunition, £15,000 of cash and Class C drugs with a street value of over £8,000.
TWO Valley men have been jailed for more than 25 years for conspiracy to convert and supply firearms.
Vincent Joyce, 40, of Rawtenstall, was sentenced to 14 years at Preston Crown Court and co-defendant Stephen Flatley, 54, of Waterfoot, was sentenced to 11 years and six months.
It follows an investigation led by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) with both men pleading guilty to a combined 29 offences earlier this year.
The investigation began after officers from the Yorkshire & Humberside ROCU made an arrest in Sheffield in April 2019 during which a number of firearms, linked to Joyce and Flatley, were recovered.
The next month Joyce was arrested at his home address following a warrant carried out by officers from the NWROCU, Yorkshire & Humber ROCU and South Yorkshire Police, supported by Lancashire Police.
Police carried out further warrants on two further addresses including a garage on Burnley Road and Barritt Road in Rawtenstall and recovered nine firearms, ammunition, £15,000 of cash and Class C drugs with a street value of over £8,000.
Flatley was arrested on August 1, 2019 at his home as a result of forensic evidence, uncovered by a National Crime Agency-led project, linking him to the weapons seized.
Following further investigations, Paul Macdonald was arrested in October 2019 at his home address after police discovered evidence linking him to the offences.
Following a trial, the 39-year-old, of Kirkstall Road, Middleton, Manchester was found guilty of drugs and firearms offences for which he was sentenced to four years and six months behind bars.
Detective Inspector Dave Turner, from NWROCU, said: “Joyce, Flatley and Macdonald worked together to supply dangerous and illegal firearms to other criminals.”
He added: “Weapons like the ones we’ve seized have the potential to cause serious harm to communities so we’re delighted with today’s sentence which sends out a strong message that those involved in the manufacture of firearms can expect no leniency from the courts.
“We take the threat from illegally held firearms extremely seriously and work hard with all our law enforcement partners to target those posing the greatest threats to our communities.”
Matthew Perfect, Firearms Threat Lead at the NCA, said: “The NCA works closely with other law enforcement agencies to better understand the flow of firearms to the criminal marketplace.
“We use that intelligence to suppress the availability of illegal firearms and preventing them falling into the hands of UK criminals.
“The NCA supported the NWROCU by providing enhanced forensic capability and securing evidence against Flatley which ultimately assisted in his conviction for the additional firearms offences.”