Burglar ‘cut hole in roof’ to steal firearms from store

A man has been jailed for attempting to steal from a Doncaster gunshop. Gavin Smedley, 37, was arrested after breaking into a store to steal three guns on 17 March. The store’s intruder alarm was activated and, within two minutes, a police officer arrived on the scene to find Smedley with the guns in his possession. When confronted, he dropped them and was arrested. 

Smedley later claimed he had simply found the firearms on the ground, but evidence — including a hole cut into the roof and a saw left nearby — pointed to a premeditated burglary attempt. Smedley pleaded guilty to one charge of burglary and three counts of possessing a firearm without a certificate. On 5 September, Sheffield Crown Court sentenced him to one year and 10 months in prison. 

PC Luke O’Donnell, the arresting officer, noted the potential harm such crimes could cause: “The damage Smedley could have caused if he had been successful in stealing these guns cannot be overstated. We are committed to targeting individuals linked to firearms offences.”