Southampton man sentenced for five years after being convicted of firearm offences

A 23-year-old man from Southampton has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to firearm offences during a trial at Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday 29 August.

Jack Daniel Follett, 23, of International Way, Southampton appeared at court facing charges of possession of a firearm without a certificate.

The court heard how officers entered a property on International Way late on Tuesday 28 February to conduct a search warrant in relation an unrelated matter. Upon conducting a thorough search of the property, a viable black Beretta-style self-loading pistol, a magazine and ammunition were uncovered from behind a kickboard in the kitchen.

Follett was arrested at the scene, with officers securing charges for the firearms offences on Friday 3 March. He appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court and was further remanded in custody.

He did not enter a plea at an earlier hearing at Southampton Crown Court on 3 April and a hearing was set for trial on Tuesday 29 August.

On day one of the trial Follett entered a plea of guilty and received a sentence of five years and four months.

Detective Inspector Howard Broadribb, said: “As a result of a thorough and robust investigation, a dangerous man has now been removed from the streets of Southampton and placed behind bars for a prolonged period of time. Anyone found in possession of a firearm is subject to a minimum of five years imprisonment, so this case shows how seriously the courts will deal with those who think that it is OK to have these weapons in their possession, even when found at your home address, as was the case for Follett in this investigation.

“Perhaps most significantly is that a legitimate firearm is now not in the arms of individuals, or organised criminal networks, and no longer has the potential to cause harm in our local communities.

“I would like to praise the hard-work and dedication of the group of officers who were involved in the search team as part of this investigation. They ensured that no stone was left unturned to locate the weapon and ensure no other weapons were located in the property which could find their way into the wrong hands.

“I hope that this sentencing gives the local community reassurance that we will tackle issues such as possession of firearms robustly and take every report that we receive of this nature very seriously.”

Images of recovered firearm; magazine and ammunition.