A former police worker with an “obsession” with weapons who used a 3D printer to make parts for a semi-automatic gun has been jailed for more than eight years.
Police officers went to the Lincolnshire home of former PCSO Zoe Watts, 39, in December last year and found a 3D printer which she had used to manufacture parts of a semi-automatic weapon, as well as parts she had built to complete the gun, including springs, nuts and bolts.
The gun was completed by police firearms experts but was not capable of firing projectiles and would have required further modification, Lincoln Crown Court heard on Friday, as she was sentenced to eight years and six months for a single count of attempting to manufacture a prohibited weapon.
Judge Simon Hirst told Watts, who appeared at the hearing via video link from HMP Downview in Surrey wearing a blue and white flowery top, that he realised custody would be more difficult for her because of her neurodivergence, her previous police career and her transgender identity.
He said it was clear from evidence heard during a trial at Lincoln Crown Court that Watts, of St Helen’s Avenue, Lincoln, had an “obsession with weapons”.
She also has previous convictions for making an explosive substance and possessing illegal weapons, which meant she was prohibited from owning any weapons at the time of her arrest.
The judge said: “You told the jury you had searched the internet for bullets. You had a truly troubling internet search history, including those who had killed and notorious murderers.”
She had also used Google to search “has anybody been killed by a 3D printed gun?”, had researched weapons and was looking for avenues to buy new weapons, Lincolnshire Police said.
A pre-sentence report found that Watts was deemed to have a medium risk of reoffending.
Judge Hirst said: “There was some degree of planning in that you researched the weapon and you purchased items you were unable to manufacture yourself. You searched the internet for bullets.
“There is no evidence that the weapon would have been sold or loaned, but the very real danger is that the very existence of this weapon would become public knowledge.
“The weapon was incomplete and it would have required modification before it was able to fire projectiles, but the amount of work required to make it operational was relatively limited.
“Custody will be more difficult for you because of your neurodivergence, your previous police career and your transgender identity.”
Lincolnshire Police officers were alerted to Watts’s activity after receiving information that she was buying illegal material online.
Senior officers then planned an operation to arrest her, and she was pulled over while driving her car in Lincoln and arrested by armed officers, while others carried out a search of her home.
Once inside, officers found what police described as an “Aladdin’s cave” of weapons, including knives and a crossbow, alongside the parts for 3D printed guns.
Watts claimed she was creating the weapons as toys in a defence victim statement before she was convicted at court earlier this year.
Detective Inspector Gemma Skipworth said after the sentencing: “This sends a clear message that if you’re doing something wrong behind closed doors, it doesn’t mean you’re safe and can break the rules with impunity.
“3D printers are becoming more and more popular, and people are naturally exploring what they can do with this technology.
“But it’s important to know that when you are downloading plans and use a machine to produce something like a firearm, you’re breaking the rules.
“And if you are caught, you will face a lengthy jail sentence – so please think about what you’re doing.
“This case shows how committed my colleagues are to keeping the people of Lincolnshire safe and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who worked on this case.”
