This is the moment father and son gun runners dig up a powerful rifle they had buried in the back garden of their home - a deadly weapon destined for Manchester. And their own CCTV footage was used by police and prosecutors against them to convict them in court.
Mark Watkins, 55, and his son Richard, 29, had installed a CCTV system to monitor their garden - where police said they 'kept a criminal arsenal'.
The huge HOWA bolt action .308 rifle, complete with a telescopic sight, silencer and 39 rounds of ammunition, was collected from their Preston home by three men from Manchester - who police said took along a three-year-old child 'to make it look as though it were a family day out instead of the transfer of a deadly weapon'.
Dramatic video footage of the moment the Ford Focus car was stopped by police in an armed strike in Cheetham Hill has also been released.
The footage shows armed officers surrounding the hatchback and smashing its rear window ahead of the three being arrested. The gun and ammo were recovered from the Ford's boot.
The car, stopped at 4pm on July 14, 2021, was driven by John Lewis, 36, of Ridgewood Avenue in Monsall, said Lancashire Police. Also on board were Ryan Poole, 34, of Clough Road, Moston, and Lois Carter, 33, of Delaware Walk, Harpurhey.
"Earlier that same day, the Watkins' own CCTV showed Mark and Richard digging up the rifle from waste ground at the back of their garden in Merrick Avenue, Preston, and the weapon being put in the Ford Focus which had driven up from Manchester to collect it," said Lancashire Police.
The gun deal, added the force, had earlier been arranged between Richard Watkins and 'middle-man' Christopher German, 38, of Parkside Road, Manchester.
"Mark and Richard Watkins were arrested later the same day," added the force. "Police undertook a meticulous search of the Watkin home and neighbouring addresses and found two more firearms - handguns with viable ammunition one of which was loaded - buried in the back garden. And their own CCTV was used against them in the case."
Mark Watkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and supply a firearm with intent to endanger life. He was jailed for five years and two months.
Hi son, Richard, admitted conspiracy to possess and supply a firearm and possess and supply ammunition with intent to endanger life and possessing two prohibited weapons and prohibited ammunition for sale or transfer. He was jailed for 22 years.
German denied conspiracy to possess and supply a firearm and possess and supply ammunition with intent to endanger life, but was found guilty by a jury after a trial. He was jailed for 16 years.
Lewis admitted conspiracy to possess and supply a firearm and possess and supply ammunition with intent to endanger life. He was jailed for five years.
Poole admitted the same charge and got six years, nine months Carter pleaded guilty to assisting an organised crime group. He was jailed for 18 months, suspended for 12 months. All six were sentenced at Preston Crown Court.
Lancashire Police Head of Crime, Det Chief Supt Pauline Stables, said: "The tragic effects of the criminal use of firearms has been all too evident in the recent weeks and it is horrifying to imagine the devastation this firearm could have caused if it had reached it's intended destination.
"Like elsewhere in the country, serious and organised crime presents a very real threat across our communities, and we do a great deal of work to tackle the problem. Every week we arrest an average of 17 people for organised crime and each month we seize over £55,000 of cash along with significant quantities of drugs.
"Our dedicated teams of detectives are working extremely hard to ensure we use every tactic at our disposal to hunt down offenders, first taking their freedom, then all of their assets.
"Nobody knows their local communities better than the people who live here. I am appealing for the public to help us put these offenders where they belong – behind bars.
"If people have suspicions, we want to hear from them. It might be concerns about a business, unusual activity around a premises or perhaps an individual flashing cash with no obvious means of earning it. Even the tiniest bit of information might be the final piece of evidence we need to take action."
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