Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Headline: Three men jailed for firearms offences
Three men and a woman have been jailed for a total of 29-and-a-half years for firearms offences after the discovery of a handgun and ammunition at an address in east London.
On Thursday, 8 February all four defendants were sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court as follows:
Spencer Tapper, 27 (02.10.80) of School Road, Dagenham was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for two counts of possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of ammunition.
Sandy Hunter, 33 (30.10.84) of Goresbrook Road, Dagenham, was handed a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for assisting an offender.
Mahesh Chaitoo, 28 (23.10.89) of Beresford Road, Southend-On-Sea was sentenced to five-and-a-half years imprisonment for possession of a firearm.
Aymon Popo, 33 (9.10.84) of Highfield Road, Romford, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years imprisonment for conspiracy to possess a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.
They pleaded guilty to all the offences on Monday, 29 January.
Detective Inspector Tim Grinsted, who led the investigation, said: “Firearms pose a significant danger to the public and we are delighted that we’ve been able to take them off the streets.
“This was a very complex investigation, with the defendants carrying and exchanging firearms across London and Kent. Their sentences reflect just how serious the courts take this type of offending.
“Gun crime of any kind will not be tolerated and the Trident and Area Crime Command is committed to reducing offending linked to firearms and removing them from criminal circulation.”
The court heard how on 16 November 2016, officers from the Met’s Trident and Area Crime Command executed a search warrant at a residential address on Goresbrook Road in Dagenham.
During the search, officers discovered a handgun containing 15 rounds and a further 20 rounds of ammunition within a grey holdall bag in a bedroom.
Hunter was arrested at the address on suspicion of possession of a firearm and ammunition and was charged later that day.
Officers discovered that Hunter had been in contact with Tapper via WhatsApp and linked him to the investigation.
It was later identified that Hunter was holding the gun and ammunition on Tapper’s behalf.
On 19 February 2017, Tapper and Chaitoo travelled to Ramsgate in Kent to collect a handgun.
During the journey back to London, Tapper arranged for Chaitoo to drive with the firearm in a different vehicle in an attempt to protect him from being caught in possession of the gun.
They were stopped by police on the M2. A handgun and 42 rounds of live ammunition were discovered in the boot of one of Chaitoo’s vehicle.
Following police enquiries, officers linked Popo to the investigation. He was arrested and charged on 18 August 2017 for being the conduit who arranged for Chaitoo to transport the firearm on Tapper’s behalf and conspiracy to possess a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.