East Sussex illegal firearms buyer jailed after purchasing guns and ammunition online

Dennis Early, 48, was sent to prison today (Thursday, April 25) following an earlier court hearing.

The NCA said officers from the NCA’s Armed Operations Unit, acting on intelligence, carried out a pre-dawn strike at Early’s home in Westfield, near Hastings, in February 2022.

A spokesperson for the NCA said: “Officers recovered a converted pistol, seven blank-firing firearms and six unfired bullets from Early’s hallway, living room and a workshop in his back garden.

“The blank-firing guns were of a kind deemed ‘readily-convertible’, meaning they are more easily altered to fire live bullets than other types.”

The NCA added that such firearms are often sought by criminals, as guns originally manufactured for lethal fire are considerably more difficult to acquire. Blank-firers are nevertheless illegal to own without the appropriate authority, the organisation said.

The NCA said its investigation identified that Early, who did not have authority to own such a firearm, had bought the guns online through a Spanish website, and received them in the post.

Early was arrested by officers and taken into custody, before later being charged with firearms offences. He pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this year, the NCA added.

He was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison, reduced from three years and four months in light of his early plea.

The NCA said Early pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, namely a converted pistol, contrary to Section 5(1)(aba) of the Firearms Act 1968, possession of ammunition, namely six unfired improvised bulleted cartridges to which section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 applied, without holding a firearm certificate in force at the time, contrary to Section 1(1)(b) Firearms Act 1968, and possession without the authority of the Secretary of State a weapon, namely seven forward–venting blank firing firearms, weapons designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing, contrary to Section 5(1)(b) Firearms Act 1968.

Tracey Lake, senior investigating officer, said: “These firearms were all potentially lethal, and could have ruined many lives if used on UK streets.

“Gun crime is relatively low in the UK, and the NCA is working tirelessly with partners in the UK and abroad to help ensure this remains the case, and the public is protected.”