Five-year sentence for Swindon man who had firearm and ammunition

A Swindon man has been sentenced to five years in custody for firearm offences.

Ryan Molloy, 20, of Stamford Close, Toothill, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court for possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate.

On September 18, 2023 police carried out a warrant on a property on Edington Close. Three men were seen running from the property and a bag was later reported to have been dumped in a neighbour's garden. 

A firearm was found inside that bag, and following forensic investigations Molloy's fingerprints were found on the gun.

Molloy was sentenced to five years in a young offenders institution and ordered to pay a £228 surcharge. The viable firearm and cartridges will now be destroyed.

Detective Constable Anna McCormack said: "A bag containing a  firearm was left in a residential garden where anyone could have found it. Such illegal firearms have no place in Swindon and Wiltshire. They often end up in the hands of organised criminals, who use them to inflict serious violence and instil fear.

"I am pleased to have removed one from our streets before it was used to fatally or seriously injure someone."

Anybody suspecting a crime or who believes somebody is being exploited is asked to call the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. They can also report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.