A Forest Gate man has been jailed after police found a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition hidden behind a bedroom cupboard.
Yusuf Ademola, 27, of Claremont Road, was today sentenced to 12 years in prison after a four day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, which concluded in October.
Ademole and Jessica Soares, 25, of Manor Road, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at an earlier hearing.
His sentence will begin in July, when his current licence expires.
Soares, meanwhile, received an eight-month sentence on July 27, suspended for 18 months.
The court heard how police found the firearm wrapped in a bin liner and two rounds of ammunition at Soares’ address during a joint raid by armed officers and the Metropolitan Police’s Trident East Proactive team.
Upon entry, officers arrested and charged Soares after she admitted the weapon’s location.
She had agreed to hold the firearm on Ademola’s behalf, messages on her phone revealed.
Police said Soares collected the shotgun from Ademola’s address by taxi hours before the arrest.
Her fingerprints were on the bin liner, according to a forensic test.
Ademola was arrested on June 13 and subsequently charged. At the time of his arrest he was on licence from prison, after serving part of a five-year sentence for possessing a firearm.
Summing up, the judge said he maintained links with gangs even after his conviction. She referred to a music video posted online showing Ademola and gang members making reference to guns.
“Ademola was on licence from prison after being jailed for the same offence and he clearly did not learn his lesson,” said Det Con Gareth Starr of the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command.
“Soares, out of some misguided sense of loyalty, agreed to hold this dangerous weapon and she has now received a criminal conviction for the costly gamble she took.”
Colleague Det Insp Steve Meechan said: “Tackling gun crime remains a key priority of the Met and Trident officers will continue to target those who choose to store such dangerous weapons.”
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