Hailsham gun factory probe sees suppliers jailed

Lee Rice was jailed for eight years

A man and a woman who supplied materials to create live ammunition and weapons at an illegal gun factory have been jailed at Lewes Crown Court.

Lee Rice, 38, of Byfleet, Surrey, and Marie Brazier, 49, of Lancing, Sussex, were jailed for eight and six years respectively after an earlier trial.

The gun factory in Diplocks Way, Hailsham, was shut down in 2018 after a National Crime Agency (NCA) operation.

The factory had been manufacturing handguns from scratch, the NCA said.

Rice, of Eden Grove Road, and Brazier, of Irene Avenue, were convicted of conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons.

The illegal gun factory in Diplocks Way was shut down in 2018

Three other men previously admitted offences linked to the factory. One of them has since died.

After the hearing, NCA branch commander Andy Noyes said: "Rice and Brazier held key roles that contributed to the production of viable pistols and ammunition. These weapons then made their way into the hands of criminals who used them in acts of serious violence."

Sarah Jennings, specialist prosecutor, said weapons they helped to manufacture were sold "with devastating and violent consequences".

The NCA said 13 pistols made at the factory were found in the possession of criminals and one had Rice's DNA on its internal spring.

Thirteen pistols made at the factory were found in the possession of criminals, the NCA said

Brazier, Rice and another man bought 366 inert rounds from military memorabilia websites over five months in 2018 and made further attempts to buy hundreds more, the NCA said.

Investigators said the rounds were taken to the factory where they were filled with gunpowder and turned into viable ammunition.

The NCA said they also purchased 11 pistol magazines.

Marie Brazier was jailed for six years

Investigators found emails from Brazier to online militaria retailers, which contained order receipts and showed efforts to acquire more parts, and phone data revealed calls between the pair and people at the factory.

William England, Rice's defence counsel said he had suffered from learning difficulties throughout his life and had been exploited.

Brazier's defence counsel Daniel Frier said she was a hard-working, kind person who not previously been involved with the police and had not known about the factory or the scale of the operation.

The pair supplied materials to create live ammunition