Two jailed for illegal handgun dumped in alleyway

Talbert Young (L) and Hayden (R) began their prison sentences earlier

Two men have been jailed for possessing an illegal handgun which they tried to ditch in an alleyway while fleeing police.

Following DNA testing, the 9mm pistol was traced back to Zachariah Talbert Young, 26, of Carlyle Road in Easton, Bristol, and Paul Elijah Hayden, 21, of Reade Close in Hanham.

They both denied the charge but were found guilty by a jury on 13 September, and sentenced to five and a half years and five years, respectively.

Det Insp Jason Chidgey, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Bristol is a safer place with this weapon and these people off our streets."

Police said the gun was found loaded with four rounds of ammunition, and had been made ready to fire

During the trial, the court heard that on 5 October 2021, police received a number of calls reporting sightings of people armed with a gun and a knife in Easton, Bristol.

A man called 999 at about 21:45 BST and described meeting a group of people earlier that he thought had a gun.

Officers attended and began to search the area. Three men fled while one ran down an alleyway off Chaplin Road.

Just after 23:00 BST, officers found a Nike bag containing a handgun hidden in the alleyway, near to an electricity substation.

The gun was examined and found to be a prohibited 9mm Parabellum self-loading pistol, unlawful to own under any circumstances, police added.

The weapon is prohibited because it has a barrel length of less than 30cm, and a total length of less than 60cm

Forensic tests of the recovered weapon revealed the DNA of both Hayden and Talbert Young on the grip.

Talbert Young's DNA was also found on the working parts of the gun, as well as on the bag it was found in.

Detectives carried out 22 months of detailed enquiries - including trawling CCTV and examining mobile phone data - to prove that both men were in the Easton area that night and in possession of the gun.

Mr Chidgey, who led the investigation, said: "Thankfully gun crime is a rarity in the UK.

"It's all the more shocking that two young men were able to get hold of a banned weapon like this. Hayden was 18 and Talbert Young 23 at the time.

"Bristol is a safer place with this weapon and these people off our streets."

At sentencing, Mr Tom Brown KC said he took into account Hayden's young age at the time and lack of previous convictions.

He added that both men will serve half their sentences before being released on licence.