A semi-automatic pistol seized by police after a shooting in Merseyside is believed to have been used in 19 firearms incidents in the past seven years, an extraordinary history which has emerged after a rise in gun crime in the region.
Officers found the Beretta 9000S while investigating an incident in Kirkby, north-east of Liverpool, in which a gunman fired at a vehicle in a suspected targeted attack.
Police discovered the weapon when they raided the home of 24-year-old Adam Bigley the following day, hidden in a bathroom behind boxed-in pipes. His DNA, along with that of at least three other people, was found on the safety catch of the weapon.
The magazine was attached and contained four factory-loaded 9mm live rounds. The serial number had been erased. There is no evidence this particular weapon was used in the Kirkby shooting.
Bigley admitted possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition without a firearm certificate and was jailed for six years and nine months on Thursday. Speaking during the court hearing, lawyers said the firearm had been used in 19 shootings in the past seven years.
Sentencing Bigley, Judge Norman Wright said gun crime in Liverpool was an extremely serious problem. “It is disquieting to know that this particular firearm had been used on 19 previous occasions,” he said. “You of course will know that firearms, particularly pistols of this sort, are extremely highly valued in criminal organisations.
“They are not something that is just freely passed around. Being so valuable, only extremely trusted people are asked to mind or hold these sort of weapons. The conclusion I draw in this case is you were someone who was highly trusted by the owners or principal users of this firearm.”
Andrew Alty, defending, cautioned that his client was being sentenced for his possession of the gun and not for its historical use. “That is nothing to do with him,” he said.
“Both his parents were spoken to, he lives in their house, and both said they suspected he came back with it the day before, because he came back with a bag. His intention was to hand the weapon back to the person who originally gave it to him. He only had possession of it for one day.”
In February, Merseyside police issued an appeal to combat a rise in gun crime in the region towards the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. Police said that the spate of shootings had occurred because lower-level criminals were competing for power after a number of key gangland figures were taken off the streets.
Speaking at the time, Nikki Holland, an assistant chief constable at Merseyside police, said many firearms that arrived on Britain’s streets came from eastern Europe, while others were stolen from the military or were recommissioned antique weapons.
As of 16 August, there had been 60 firearms incidents resulting in three deaths and 26 injuries in Merseyside in 2017. That compares with 87 incidents in the whole of 2016, two of which were fatal and 34 of which caused injury.
Nationwide figures released by the Office for National Statistics in April showed a 13% increase in gun crime to 5,864 incidents, apparently driven by higher criminal use of handguns and shotguns.
Speaking after Bigley’s sentencing, DI Elaine Coulter said: “Bigley is now facing a long time in prison and I hope this sentence makes other people realise that possessing firearms of any type carries huge risks and is simply not worth it.”
She said people found in possession of firearms were committing an extremely serious offence, whether they intended to use them or not.
“We won’t tolerate criminals who use guns to create fear and intimidation on Merseyside and we are also determined to crack down on the people who help them by storing and looking after illegal weapons,” she said.
“We will be relentless in our efforts to crack down on serious and organised crime and I would continue to appeal to the public to tell us if they know where firearms or drugs are being stored, so we can keep taking such positive action.”