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Wyverstone weapons haul: Firearms dealer Anthony Buckland jailed | Wyverstone weapons haul: Firearms dealer Anthony Buckland jailed |
(35 minutes later) | |
An arms dealer who supplied some of the firearms that made up the UK's biggest stash of illegal weapons has been jailed for six years. | An arms dealer who supplied some of the firearms that made up the UK's biggest stash of illegal weapons has been jailed for six years. |
Anthony Buckland 65, shook uncontrollably as he was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court. | Anthony Buckland 65, shook uncontrollably as he was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court. |
Police had found more than 400 firearms at the home of another man, James Arnold, in Wyverstone, Suffolk, in April 2014. | Police had found more than 400 firearms at the home of another man, James Arnold, in Wyverstone, Suffolk, in April 2014. |
Arnold, 49, had faced charges, but he died from cancer before going to court. | Arnold, 49, had faced charges, but he died from cancer before going to court. |
Buckland, of Stoke Holy Cross, Norfolk, was found guilty of 11 counts of selling a prohibited weapon and nine counts of fraud. | Buckland, of Stoke Holy Cross, Norfolk, was found guilty of 11 counts of selling a prohibited weapon and nine counts of fraud. |
Live: More on the UK's largest weapons haul | Live: More on the UK's largest weapons haul |
Police uncovered rifles, machine guns and an anti-tank missile, along with 200,000 rounds of ammunition in a secret room at Arnold's home. | Police uncovered rifles, machine guns and an anti-tank missile, along with 200,000 rounds of ammunition in a secret room at Arnold's home. |
They had originally called at Arnold's home in April 2014 to revoke his legally-held firearms licence after reports of a domestic incident. | They had originally called at Arnold's home in April 2014 to revoke his legally-held firearms licence after reports of a domestic incident. |
Over the next six weeks officers searched his home, carrying out controlled explosions and discovering a secret room hidden behind a false wall in his kitchen. | Over the next six weeks officers searched his home, carrying out controlled explosions and discovering a secret room hidden behind a false wall in his kitchen. |
Suffolk Police said had the weapons fallen into the wrong hands, there would have been enough to arm nine coach-loads of terrorists. | Suffolk Police said had the weapons fallen into the wrong hands, there would have been enough to arm nine coach-loads of terrorists. |
Chief Superintendent David Skevington said Arnold never offered any explanation, but said he had come by the weapons years ago, and wanted to keep them safe. | Chief Superintendent David Skevington said Arnold never offered any explanation, but said he had come by the weapons years ago, and wanted to keep them safe. |
He said: "We have asked every question and followed every line of inquiry and have found no evidence of a criminal or terrorist motive. | He said: "We have asked every question and followed every line of inquiry and have found no evidence of a criminal or terrorist motive. |
"The best explanation to date is that he was a collector and a hoarder who collected these weapons in the way some people collect stamps." | "The best explanation to date is that he was a collector and a hoarder who collected these weapons in the way some people collect stamps." |
Officers were called to Arnold's terraced home, down a single-track lane to reports of a domestic violence incident. | Officers were called to Arnold's terraced home, down a single-track lane to reports of a domestic violence incident. |
They planned to revoke his licence for 17 firearms to prevent them being used in a domestic attack. | They planned to revoke his licence for 17 firearms to prevent them being used in a domestic attack. |
When they arrived they found other illegal weapons strewn on the living room floor. | When they arrived they found other illegal weapons strewn on the living room floor. |
Looking further, they found the internal layout of the house did not match its external footprint, and discovered a hidden room behind a false wall in his pantry. | Looking further, they found the internal layout of the house did not match its external footprint, and discovered a hidden room behind a false wall in his pantry. |
It revealed a cache larger than any other found in this country. | It revealed a cache larger than any other found in this country. |
Arnold died of pancreatic cancer three months after the discovery. | |
Buckland was prosecuted for supplying one of the weapons, but police said 16 firearms supplied by him were found at Arnold's house. | |
Michael Claire, mitigating for Buckland, described him as an "utterly broken" man. | |
He said: "He will never deal in firearms again; he will never handle firearms again, and he doesn't want to." | |
At an earlier court hearing, the discovery was described by prosecutors as the "biggest stash of weapons this country had ever experienced". |