Errol Grant has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after a sawn-off shotgun stained with his blood was discovered by members of the public in an alleyway in Great Barr. The weapon, a double-barrelled firearm, was found near Grove Vale Avenue at around 4pm on 11 March last year, prompting a police response.
Discovery and DNA Evidence
West Midlands Police (WMP) recovered the shotgun along with a bag containing a machete and 20 shotgun cartridges. Forensic analysis revealed traces of blood on both the weapon and the bag, which matched Grant's DNA. The 25-year-old, of Sussex Avenue, West Bromwich, was later found guilty of possession of the sawn-off shotgun in May.
Link to West Bromwich Shooting
The firearm is believed to have been used in a shooting in the West Bromwich area the day before its discovery, which left one person injured. Police were alerted by members of the public who found the weapon and called officers to the scene.
Sentencing and Operation Target
Grant was jailed for six-and-a-half years at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 June. A WMP spokesperson said: "The recovery of the weapon and the sentencing of Grant marks another success for Operation Target, our ongoing mission to tackle serious and organised crime in the West Midlands. Our investigators work alongside specialist teams including firearms officers to disrupt and arrest those involved in guns, drugs, money laundering and exploitation in the West Midlands."
