A couple were jailed after police found a gun in his storage container - they then found illicit designer goods in their flat. On February 17 last year, officers attended Manchester Storage, in Miles Platting, and searched a container belonging to Edward Boyce, 42.
Inside the container was a working Walther P99 semi-automatic pistol as well as five rounds of live ammunition, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. Following their enquiries, the officers went to Canalside Apartments, in Stalybridge, where Boyce shared a flat with girlfriend Lyndsey Remmett, 31.
There they saw a man leave the building and get into the driver’s seat of a Ford Transit van before driving to a nearby car park. Boyce then came out of the same building and put a large bag through the open van passenger window.
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Police intercepted the van, which was being driven by Mark Kenny, and found a dog food bag containing bundles of cash in notes, estimated to be a total of £135,000. Boyce later admitted transferring criminal property, and Kenny pleaded guilty to receiving criminal property, the court heard.
After gaining entry to the flat, officers found £29,000 in cash. They also recovered numerous designer items including a Rolex watch, a Louis Vuitton bag, a Givenchy gilet and a Givenchy bag.
Prosecutor Mark Monaghan told jurors that there was ‘plenty of evidence of spending’ in the flat. They were both arrested and interviewed.
The court previously heard that the contents of the dog food bag were examined for fingerprints; two of the parcels in the bag contained fingerprints from Boyce, and five parcels contained the fingerprints of Remmett. Boyce had ‘recruited’ Kenny to remove the money, it was said.
Following a trial in May this year, Boyce was convicted of possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of ammunition; and Remmett was convicted of possession of criminal property, namely the cash in the dog food bag and in the flat.
Boyce was said to have numerous previous convictions for possession with intent to supply drugs including heroin and cocaine. His barrister, Wayne Jackson, said he was ‘not a big time gangster’ and instead acted as a ‘foot soldier doing the dirty work’.
Remmett had no previous convictions, the court heard. Mitigating, Rebecca Penfold said her client had little awareness of the operation and asked for a suspended sentence.
But, jailing them both, Recorder Abigail Hudson said: “There is no question that you, Boyce, had possession of that [gun] for anything other than the purpose of serious organised crime.
“Your flat was littered with expensive items which showed your vacuous lifestyle. Buying Balenciaga with the proceeds of the suffering of others is quite simply astonishing.
“The gun was loaded and ready to go. The use of the firearm was to influence power. Whilst I accept you, Remmett, were not aware of the gun, you must have been aware of the type of offending that could not be called white collar crime.
“I heard evidence from you during the trial, I have no doubt whatsoever you were fully aware of what was going on.
“You very clearly lived a lifestyle of superficiality without any officiality. I would be surprised if you were not anxious, you were showing your girls your cruel lifestyle has no consequences and something to be admired. They are going to learn the hard way, because of the harm you have caused to them.”
Boyce, of Melbourne Road, was jailed for eight-and-a-half years; and Remmet, of Annable Road, was jailed for three-and-a-half years. Kenny, of George Street, Glossop, was previously handed 10 months imprisonment which was suspended for two years.
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing was set for October 11.
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