SH acquitted of two conspiracies alleging conversion of firearms and ammunition intended for supply

Erim Mushtaq, leading Yvonne Kramo, were instructed by Wajid Manzoor from ITN Solicitors to represent SH who was alleged to have sourced, stored and converted firearms and ammunition intended for sale to criminals.

SH faced a two-count indictment alleging a conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons and a conspiracy to manufacture, sell or transfer ammunition without being registered as a firearms dealer.

The prosecution alleged SH played a key role in converting blank firing weapons into prohibited and lethal firearms and in converting and modifying blank rounds to live ammunition. She was one of 16 defendants who were tried over several different trials. This investigation involved one of the largest recoveries of converted weapons and ammunition in the UK.

The defence undermined the extensive DNA evidence linking SH to seven different firearms, including forensic expert evidence of SH handling some of the firearms and her DNA being on internal components of the firearms which could only be explained as it having been transferred to the weapons in a disassembled state, ready to be converted. There was also fingerprint evidence connecting SH to the firearms case, evidence of converted firearms and converted ammunition being found all over her property, as well as tools consistent with use in converting weapons and other paraphernalia, strongly suggesting the property was being used for converting.

The prosecution relied on an extensive timeline which included incriminating text messages attributed to SH, numerous calls to co-defendants including those at the head of the conspiracies, cell site evidence, numerous calls to gun shop suppliers and evidence of a converted cartridge linked to her by DNA being used in a fatal shooting.

The defence spent hours carefully considering the unused material and the raw telecoms data and telephone downloads and deployed this material to undermine the prosecution’s case against SH.

Following a three-week trial at the Sheffield Crown Court, SH was unanimously acquitted by the jury on both counts.