Dramatic Call Of Duty-style footage shows the moment armed police swooped on a thug who was caught carrying a sawn-off shotgun inside a carrier bag. Nathan Clifford, 34, was swarmed by officers as he arrived at a house holding a bag suspected to contain a firearm in Bestwood, Nottingham, on December 30, 2020.
Armed cops can be heard screaming "stay where you are, do not move, show me your hands, get down on your knees, do it now" as they trained their weapons on the yob. Clifford was found to be carrying a bag containing a shotgun wrapped in a bed sheet along with eight shotgun cartridges and a foregrip.
Further examination showed the weapon had all the required parts to make it a viable and functioning firearm. As Clifford was being cuffed on Caldbeck Walk a van being driven by Adrian Keeling, 36, arrived in the area but made a hasty retreat upon seeing police activity.
Officers gave chase in their squad cars and stopped the vehicle before also arresting Keeling nearby on suspicion of weapons charges. Detectives found the pair had exchanged phone messages organising the handover of the weapon that evening.
On Tuesday (7/6) both men were jailed for a combined total of 20 years at Nottingham Crown Court Clifford, of Bestwood, was caged for eight years and four months after admitting conspiring to transfer a prohibited firearm and possession of firearm ammunition. Keeling, of HMP Doncaster, was handed a prison sentence of 11 years and eight months after admitting the same charges and possession with intent to supply drugs.
Detective Inspector Mark Adas, of Nottinghamshire Police, said afterwards: “This was an extensive investigation which involved some great investigative work from experts in the region and has resulted in a lethal firearm and two dangerous men being removed from our streets.
“Telephone evidence provided a clear story surrounding the event on 30 December 2020 which involved them arranging handover of the weapon and subsequently reacting to police activity. Seizures of this nature protect the public and are an invaluable part of our fight against organised crime.
“Firearms can be deadly in the wrong hands so I’m very pleased we were able to take this gun out of circulation which would no doubt have been used to further the criminal aims of those commissioning its use. Firearms offences are treated extremely seriously by police who remain committed to taking weapons off the streets.
"Information is vital in doing this and I would urge anyone with information about illegal firearms to contact police immediately on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Your actions could well help save someone’s life.”
