A COVENTRY drug dealer who had an axe in his car and a sawn-off shotgun with nine live rounds hidden under his bed has been jailed for eight years and eight months.
Jamie Owen, of Pinnock Place in Tile Hill, was arrested on August 5, 2015 after he was seen running away from the scene of a disturbance on Villiers Street.
Police searched the 23-year-old’s car and found a quantity of drugs including heroin, ecstasy and cannabis, as well as a knife, an axe and three mobile phones.
A subsequent search of his home address led to the discovery of a sports bag containing empty deal bags and a sawn off shotgun with two spent cartridges and nine live rounds.
Owen admitted possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, possession of an axe, knife and sawn off shot gun at Coventry Crown Court.
He was sentenced on Monday (25 January) and is the latest person to be jailed as part of Operation Blue Steel ? West Midlands Police’s blitz on organised crime and crime families operating in Coventry.
A police spokesperson said any firearm had the potential to cause harm and this shotgun was undoubtedly linked to the world of drug crime.
“We have all seen the misery which drugs can cause on our communities and we remain determined to catch those involved. This sentence should act as a strong warning.”
They said Operation Blue Steel was all about taking troubled estates out of the hands of criminals and returning them to the community, by working with other agencies to focus on each individual criminal and to stop their offending.
