A man has been handed a seven-year jail term after a pistol, ammunition and packages of heroin were found inside a flat.
Police officers found the items when they searched an address at Grafton House, in Byker, Newcastle.
They seized a pistol, which had been modified and was loaded with live ammunition, although that ammunition was not compatible with the weapon.
Go here for the latest reports and live updates from North East courts
There was also other ammunition, including shotgun cartridges, but these were not compatible with the pistol either.
In addition, around 10 packages of heroin, with a total value of between £2,500 and £5,000, were found.
Now Joseph Ritson, 30, of Molifair Close, Crawcrook, has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to a number of offences including possession with intent to supply heroin, possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition.
At Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutor Omar Ahmad said officers went to the flat on the morning of July 4, 2020, and Ritson opened the door. He was "showing signs of intoxication".
Mr Ahmad said the tenant of the flat was also there however there was no evidence linking that person to the seized items.
Police searched the living room and found a blue bag with a plastic bottle inside, containing four bags of heroin. Six further packages of the drug were discovered.
They next found rifle and shotgun cartridges as well as a pistol that had been converted and was loaded. The pistol's ammunition was not compatible with it and the other cartridges found were also not compatible with the firearm.
Mr Ahmad said: "It was loaded with ammunition that could not be used at that time with that weapon."
Ritson was linked to the items through his fingerprints and DNA.
Tony Cornberg, defending, said Ritson had lost his job during the pandemic and he was taking drugs at the time of the offence.
"He was effectively homeless, sleeping wherever he could, from one sofa to the next."
However, the defendant had since made "genuine changes" in his life, his barrister said, including continuing his education and working at a charity shop whilst in custody.
He was also in a stable relationship and had supportive family, the court heard.
The barrister said Ritson's possession of the items seized was "very limited".
Judge Sarah Mallett sentenced Ritson to seven years in prison. He was told he would serve half of that in custody and the rest on licence.
