Kevin Chaderton, 47, has been jailed for five years after officers discovered an illegal firearm in his car. The sentencing took place at Derby Crown Court on August 7, where Chaderton admitted possessing a prohibited weapon – namely an air weapon with a self-contained gas cartridge system.
The case began on February 23, when police had cause to search for a black Vauxhall Insignia in Swadlincote. Officers found the vehicle parked outside a property in Hartshorne Road, Woodville.
Police pursuit and discovery
When Chaderton spotted the officers, he tried to close the front gates to the driveway. A woman who was with him attempted to get into the driver’s seat. Both were detained by police.
A black revolver was recovered from the front footwell of the passenger seat, along with a tin of air cartridge pellets. At the roadside, Chaderton said the weapon was an air pistol with pellets, adding that he used them for ‘shooting’ and that he was the owner of the weapon.
Interview and court proceedings
During a subsequent police interview, Chaderton replied ‘no comment’ to all questions put to him. He was later charged with being in possession of a prohibited weapon.
The court also ordered for the weapon to be destroyed. PC Thomas Langley, of the Swadlincote Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Illegal firearms obviously pose a serious risk to the safety of the public and we take such offences very seriously here in Derbyshire.
Warning to offenders
“In addition, the courts take a very dim view of offenders caught with such weapons – as this case shows. Anyone caught with an illegal firearm can expect to face the full force of the law and you could find yourself with a very lengthy jail sentence, much like Chaderton has.”
The five-year sentence reflects the seriousness with which both police and the judiciary treat the possession of illegal firearms. Chaderton, of Hartshorne Road, Woodville, will now serve the custodial term imposed by the court.
