Published: Thursday, 28th August, 2008 09:05
Guilty verdict in gun factory case
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Grant Wilkinson
THE mastermind behind a gun factory that supplied an arsenal of illegal weapons to criminals was found guilty of conspiracy and gun possession yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon.
Grant Wilkinson used the factory at The Briars, Basingstoke Road, Three Mile Cross, to convert replicas into deadly sub-machine guns that were used in at least eight murders across the country.
One of the guns was found at the scene of the killing of policewoman Sharon Beshenivsky.
Wilkinson, of no fixed abode, posed as an expert working on a new James Bond film to buy 90 replica Mac-10 machine guns from a dealer and was due to be sentenced today (Thursday). He denied all the charges against him.
The Reading Crown Court jury heard he lived an affluent lifestyle, dining at top restaurants and staying in posh hotels on the profits he earned from the gun factory. Detectives uncovered it in a raid in July last year, discovering three Mac-10 machine guns in various stages of conversion, partially-adapted handguns and 2,700 discharged cartridges on a testing range.
The jury heard how Wilkinson bought the replica sub-machine guns from Sabre Defence Industries by claiming he needed them as movie props. But the company’s director, Guy Savage, became suspicious.
Wilkinson handed over £55,201 in cash for 90 replicas, together with 90 magazines.
Mr Savage later identified Wilkinson as the person he had done business with.
When he was arrested in December 2007, Wilkinson said he was too scared to speak about the enterprise as his boss, Kevin Donoghue, had been murdered. However, he was able to lead detectives to a field in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, where eight barrels were found containing eight machine guns and ammunition.
Wilkinson claimed he was able to find the guns after overhearing a telephone conversation involving a violent gangster known only as “R”.
Wilkinson maintained “R” had threatened to shoot him and his family if he went to the police and refused to help him remove the items from The Briars in May 2006.
He broke down in tears when he was quizzed about “R,” who threatened his family. Investigating officer Detective Chief Superintendent George Turner said the intention of the defendants was to endanger lives.
He said: “Gun factories are very rare and there have only been a relatively small number in recent years.
“They were weapons produced solely for killing and in our view, the only possible consequence of their actions was the endangering of human life.
“This has been an amazingly challenging at many levels but particularly in terms of the forensic links.”
Garry Lewis, 38, of Blind Lane, Bourne End, was found not guilty of all nine charges and unanimously cleared of running the gun factory in The Briars.
He had denied any involvement in the conversion of weapons and the manufacture of ammunition and claimed he only worked at the property as an odd-job man.
The charges which Wilkinson was convicted on were:
*Conspiracy to convert imitation firearms into firearms between June 30 2004 and July 5 2007.
*Conspiracy to sell and transfer firearms with another man, namely a quantity of converted Mac-10 submachine guns between June 30 2004 and July 5 2007.
*Conspiracy to sell and transfer ammunition with another man, namely a quantity of 9 milimetere parabellum calibre cartridges suitable for Mac-10 submachine guns between June 30 2004 and July 5 2007.
*Possession of firearm with intent to endanger life, namely a Mac-10 submachine gun, intended to enable another person to endanger life, on July 2007.
*Possession of a converted Mac-10 submachine gun adapted so missiles could be discharged on July 14 2007.
*Possession of a firearm converted into a Mac-10 submachine gun intented to enable another person to endanger life between July 13 2007 and December 8 2007.
*Possession of firearm converted into a Mac-10 submachine gun to discharge two missiles without the need for repeated pressure on the trigger between July 13 2007 and December 9 2007.
*Possession of ammunition namely a quantity of live ammunition suitable for a Mac-10 submachine gun intended to enable another person to endanger life between July 13 2007 and December 9 2007.
*Possession of ammunition intended to endanger life between July 13 2007 and December 9 2007.
- SCOTLAND Yard has offered a reward of up to £10,000 for information about the remaining 40 Mac-10 guns which have not yet been found.
In a statement, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The reward is for any information leading to the recovery of 40 Mac-10s and/or the arrest of those involved in offences where these weapons have been used.
“These Mac-10’s were part of a batch of 90, sold by a company called Sabre Defence to Grant Wilkinson aka 'Gary Wilson’.
“Wilkinson has today been found guilty at Reading Crown Court for his role in converting these Mac-10’s from 'blank firing’ to 'live firing’ weapons and then selling them on.
“Fifty Mac-10’s from the batch of 90 originally sold, have already been recovered nationally. The Metropolitan Police recovered 35 of these and are actively engaged in trying to trace the remaining 40.”
“Four were also recovered outside of the Met area and 11 were recovered by Thames Valley Police at two sites connected with the gun factory.
“The guns are scientifically identifiable due to the conversion process they have undergone at the hands of Grant Wilkinson.”
Call Scotland Yard on 020 8733 4704 or Crimestoppers anonymously on on 0800 555111 if you can help.
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