A travel agent caught in a failed gun smuggling plot weeks after vowing to go on a mercy mission to war torn Ukraine has been jailed for two years.
Liam Sneddon and two associates were held in May 2022 after delivery of a deadly Glock 17 pistol into Scotland was intercepted by US law enforcement. The 34 year-old returned to the High Court in Glasgow today. He had earlier admitted to being involved in a serious organised crime.
Lord Richardson cut the jail term from three years to two years and one month due to the guilty plea. Just three months before his arrest, Sneddon had launched a high profile social media appeal pledging to join the efforts to help those affected by the war in Ukraine.
In a Facebook posting, he stated: "I am running a bus this week into Ukraine with supplies, taking women and children out to places of safety. Also Scotland is now accepting Ukranian refugees. Will be leaving this week.
"We will be bringing women and children back to Scotland, so if you have a spare room, share away."
But, prosecutor John McElroy KC instead told the court how a US federal agent inspected a parcel due to leave America on May 23, 2022.
Hidden inside what was described as an "electrical item" was a Glock handgun and manual. It was addressed to a property in Stenhousemuir in Stirlingshire.
The weapon was seized and a replacement "placebo" package was instead delivered with secret recording devices inside. This parcel was sent on May 25 to the Stenhousemuir property where Steven Richardson, 47, and another man were.
Mr McElroy: "The audio recording device captured Richardson speculating what the package might contain."
A phone call is also captured where there is chat of the delivery having "arrived" and talk of them "coming through with it".
The same morning, Sneddon and associate Paul Kirwan, 40, went in the travel agent's BMW X5 to woods near Stepps, Lanarkshire. The pair had earlier stopped off at a discount store in Glasgow's east end to buy rubber gloves, screwdrivers and balaclavas.
It was at Stepps they then met Richardson, who had taken a taxi from Stenhousemuir. Richardson soon left leaving the other two still in the wooded area.
Mr McElroy: "A camera was concealed within the package. Images recovered showed both Kirwan and Sneddon trying to open it.
"Both were wearing balaclavas and latex gloves."
National Crime Agency officers soon swooped on the pair. Richardson meantime was arrested separately. Richardson told police he had taken in a package at the property at Stenhousemuir and decided to open it.
Mr McElroy: "On seeing an electrical item, he put it back in the box and decided to try and sell it. He stated he knew a male in the Stepps area who may buy it.
"He decided to take it through to him paying £42 for a taxi. He stated he may have been in a nature reserve, but could not find the man.
"The electrical item was wet, so he threw it in the bushes."
The charge stated it was Kirwan who communicated with unknown others to arrange the purchase of a Glock 17 pistol using cryptocurrency.
Sneddon was in contact with Kirwan, but prosecutors accepted the travel agent believed one kilogramme of cannabis was being bought from the USA rather than a firearm.
Richardson agreed to accept delivery of the package and that he then arranged to meet Kirwan and Sneddon to hand it over.
Kirwan and Richardson were also sentenced today having pled guilty to the same charge. Kirwan was jailed for five years and three months with Richardson locked up for three years and four months.
Lord Richardson told the trio: "It is clear that you were all aware that what you were doing was, at the very least, highly suspicious.
"You, Kirwan, were fully aware the purpose of the exercise was to purchase and import a Glock 17. You were aware that it was being obtained for individuals you understood to be involved in organised crime."
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