Accrington man caught storing illegal shotgun in his home told police he ‘thought it was a sword’

Officers found a shotgun wrapped in a cloth after executing a warrant at a property in Clement Street on September 2, 2021.

They also found shotgun cartridges hidden inside a rubber glove, further concealed inside a black bin liner.

The shotgun was sent for classification and found to be a working firearm that was capable of firing the cartridges that were found with it.

The shotgun was also classed as a prohibited weapon, based on the fact that the barrel had been shortened.

When William McWilliams was arrested he denied responsibility for the shotgun and said he thought it was a sword.

McWilliams, 56, of Clement Street, Accrington, was subsequently charged and pleaded guilty to possessing a self-loading/pump action smooth-bore gun.

He was sentenced to five years immediate custody when he appeared before a Judge at Preston Crown Court on Monday (September 4).

Det Sgt Lee Harris, of East CID, said: “This was a weapon capable of inflicting serious or fatal harm, particularly with its shortened barrel.

“We will not tolerate the possession of such weapons on the streets of Lancashire.

“Anybody who does have an illegal firearm should expect a knock on the door and to be put before the courts.”