A senior member of the gang Rusholme Crips has been jailed after he stashed a loaded gun in an alleyway.
Zico Reid, 34, was stopped by armed police after being tracked around the back streets of Rusholme in 2019.
He was arrested and police found a Walther handgun, with the safety catch off, in undergrowth in an alleyway off Heald Avenue.
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He previously told a court he was concerned for his safety after his business partner at Quality Street Records, a music label they set up, was kidnapped with a ransom of £100,000 and 10 kilos of heroin and cocaine each being demanded.
"My business partner was kidnapped and everyone was saying that I would be next," Reid told Manchester Crown Court.
He said he believed they had kidnapped his business partner to 'get at me', and to try and get a music deal.
However, a judge rejected these claims and made a number of findings following a trial of issue, including that Reid is a ‘long standing and senior member’ of the Rusholme Crips, that his lifestyle was such as to put him at risk of violence from others and that the gun and ammunition were not for defensive purposes.
The Gooch - which the Rusholme Crips emerged from - and Doddington gangs led the city to be labelled 'Gunchester' in the 1990s.
Reid admitted possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, but denied it was related to gang activity.
His co-defendant Ali Ismail admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, as well as possessing prohibited ammunition and having an article with a blade or a point.
Three weeks earlier, Ismail, 29, was arrested after a loaded Smith and Wesson Magnum was recovered from the basement of a house in Dickenson Road, Rusholme.
The gun, as well as 20 bullets, were found in an old oven.
Both Reid and Ismail were jailed for a total of 21 years.
Prosecutor Henry Blackshaw told the court that Reid was arrested on August 6, 2019, after a police surveillance operation.
After the .22 gun was discovered, it was tested at a forensic lab in Waltham to ‘demonstrate the lethality of the gun’.
“The examination revealed that the weapon could hold long calibre bullets in a self-loading capacity,” he said.
“It was test fired into gelatine, which replicates the consistency of human flesh - the bullet went through six inches of the gelatine at a close range.
“This is a very dangerous weapon, it’s smaller and easier to conceal.”
Reid was said to have a number of previous convictions including robbery, dangerous driving, possessing an item inside prison and he was prohibited from possessing a weapon.
Mitigating, Erimnaz Mushtaq told the court that the weapon hadn’t been produced and no injury was caused to any person at the time.
“His previous convictions do not support that he is prone to violence,” she said.
“Whilst there is the criminal life of this defendant, there is also a different side, there are people who know him and speak highly of him.
“He is described as considerate, caring and someone who is a valued member of the family and community.
“No one is suggesting that he is an angel.”
Sentencing, Judge Alan Conrad QC said: “The gravity of firearms offences cannot be overstated.
“Guns are used regularly to intimidate, to main and to kill.
“Such offences are even more serious when they are committed within the context of criminal gangs.
“The possession and use of firearms are prevalent in this city.”
Reid, of Eva Street, Rusholme, was jailed for 12 years with an extended licence of three years, of which he will serve two thirds of his custodial sentence in prison.
Ismail, of Dickenson Road, Rusholme , was jailed for six years and nine months.
Detective Superintendent Paul Denn from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit said: “The sentencing today sends out a strong message to those involved in gun crime – we are committed to taking you off our streets.
“I hope members of the public in Rusholme can rest assured that their community is safer with these three men behind bars, thanks to the fantastic efforts of a team of officers from the ROCU and Greater Manchester Police.
"Working with local police forces and other law enforcement agencies to tackle the issue of gun crime is a priority for us at the North West ROCU, and I would urge anyone with information about the storage and use of firearms to speak to us so we can continue to take positive action and make your streets safer.
Superintendent Mark Dexter, of Greater Manchester Police’s City of Manchester District, said: “There’s no doubting the significance of today’s verdicts and the impact it will have on the communities of Manchester.
"The risk posed by these individuals was real and had already been experienced in the community – either through intimidation or as a result of actual acts of violence.
“We work hard with the community and I know that many recognise our commitment to targeting the minority of individuals who commit crime in our area; we have taken three dangerous men off the streets and will continue to work with local people and partners to ensure that we tackle those who continue to use violence and exploit young people.
"It is important to stress that the people who live and work in this community are part of the solution to solving these problems, and it was the community that ultimately triggered the work of Operation Pallas and we thank them for their co-operation with us.
“I also wish to recognise the intense work of those involved in the investigation and arrest phase of Operation Pallas. Observing and intervening in such high-risk criminality – especially where we need to use armed officers – is a huge challenge in terms of balancing risks.
“In that aspect, this was one of the most challenging operations in recent years, particularly due to the age of some of those involved, and for that I commend the gallant work of officers from GMP and ROCU on this challenging but ultimately successful operation.”
Anyone with information can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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