Two men were caught hiding a handgun in a wheelie bin after a dodgy casino park exchange.
Cody Hurley, 30, and Peter Locker, 38, had been messaging back and forth before Hurley went to pick up a hired blue BMW from Pendleton, Salford.
He then drove to Grosvener casino and he parked next to a Vauxhall Astra where ‘white packages’ were exchanged, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
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Both cars drove away separately, and the BMW drove to an address in Hull Square, where a woman came and opened up the back gate.
Locker then alighted from the passenger seat, went into the back garden, and placed the white package inside the wheelie bin, before the BMW drove away.
A search warrant was executed, and officers found a Retay 84FS 9mm handgun and 9mm modified cartridges inside a Tesco carrier bag.
DNA taken from the gun identified Hurley, of Worsley, and another man.
Following a further search at Locker’s address in Eccles, they found over 21 snap bags of cocaine and over a kilo of cannabis, as well as drug dealing paraphernalia and a drug debtors list.
Both Hurley and Locker pleaded guilty to conspiring to transfer a firearm and possession of ammunition without a certificate, and Locker pleaded guilty to further offences of possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.
They were jailed for a total of over 15 years.
Prosecuting, Vanessa Thomson told the court that Hurley and Locker were involved in a wider conspiracy of criminal activity.
On January 31 2020 at around 10.30am, Hurley was seen to get into the blue BMW on Garden Street, Pendleton.
“This was hired by Hurley on January 24 which he had driven away and parked it behind a black of flats on Heald Green,” Ms Thomson said.
“There was contact with another individual, and once Locker and Hurley were together, there was further communication again.
“At around 11.30am, the BMW was seen pulling into the car park of the Grosvenor Casino next to a silver Astra.”
Hurley, the driver, was seen to exchange a package with the passenger side of the Vauxhall, to which they exchanged another item.
The BMW drove off first, and the Astra left five minutes later, it was said.
It was then seen parking up outside Hurley’s mother’s address, where Locker proceeded to put the item into her wheelie bin before they drove off.
When officers later executed a search warrant, they discovered the firearm and ammunition.
The court heard there were three live ammunition rounds that were suitable for the firearm.
Further inquiries led them to Locker's door.
“Officers found £350 in cash and paraphernalia along with seven snap bags of white powder, later found to be cocaine,” the prosecutor said.
“21 further snap bags were found, said to be worth between £840 and £1,050, as well as a debtors list and a vacuum-sealed bag containing 1.05 kilograms of cannabis worth between £4,500 and £6,000.”
The prosecutor added that there had been further contact through messages and phone calls in the days leading up to the seizure of the firearm.
Both Locker and Hurley were said to have a large number of previous convictions on their records including attempted wounding and possession with intent to supply drugs.
Mitigating for Hurley, Michael Johnson said his client had a ‘hands-on role’ and was in contact directly with Wilhelm who was the ‘Gorton courier’.
“The offences came about as a breakdown of the relationship - he has been out of trouble for some time,” he said.
“Once he was released from his previous sentence, he made efforts to take his life in a different direction.
“He formed a relationship and they now have a little daughter.
“It’s a shame to see him in this position. He was trying hard to take his life in a different direction.”
Defence counsel Nicola Gatto said her client Locker was previously a drug user and suffered with poor mental and physical health.
Sentencing Hurley, Judge Bernadette Baxter said: “You were a keen facilitator in the conspiracy, you organised the meetings, you were instrumental in the planning and you hired the car for use in the transfer, and you organised the place for putting the weapon - I have no doubt you did it for money.”
Of Locker, she said: “You had a significant role, you were Hurley’s right hand man and you knew what he was planning to do, and you hid the weapon in the preamble, I have no doubt you did it for money.”
Hurley, of Coniston Avenue, was jailed for seven years and six months, and Locker, of Talbot Street was handed eight years and three months behind bars.
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