A MAN who was found drunk in the street and drifting in an out of consciousness has been jailed after paramedics discovered he was in possession of a loaded gun.
Kieran Kenny, 39, of Clifton Court, Thorne, Doncaster was about to be taken to hospital when a paramedic felt a handgun hidden in his sock.
A subsequent search of his property uncovered 44 weapons, including machetes and swords.
At Sheffield Crown Court earlier this month, Kenny was jailed for five years having previously pleading guilty to a string of offences, including being drunk in possession of a loaded firearm.
"Kenny had a collection of illegal weapons in his home and for him to be possessing a gun while he was so intoxicated is incredibly dangerous," said DC Haider Ali of South Yorkshire Police.
'Activated it myself'
Kenny was found injured and covered in blood in East Lane, Stainforth, Doncaster on September 9, 2022.
Police say he appeared to be intoxicated to the point that he had fallen over and injured his face as there were no signs of any altercation with others.
After an ambulance arrived, Kenny was about to be taken to hospital when a paramedic felt a handgun and a separate magazine stuffed into a sock.
Firearms officers were immediately deployed amid fears the gun was live and the ammunition was real.
When asked if the weapon was a viable firearm, Kenny responded that he had 'activated it myself'.
Kenny appeared to be intoxicated to the point that he had fallen over and injured his face (Image: South Yorkshire Police)He was immediately arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and taken to hospital for his injuries.
A search of Kenny's house was conducted as part of the investigation, during which officers found 44 weapons, including 12 that appeared illegal to own.
The haul included machetes and swords with blades in excess of 50cm.
Kenny was subsequently charged with five counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.
He was also charged with being drunk in possession of a loaded firearm, possessing ammunition for a firearm without a certificate and possessing a prohibited firearm.
He pleaded guilty to all the offences at Sheffield Crown Court on December 5, 2022 and was sentenced at the same court on October 13 this year to five years.
Reason unknown
DC Ali said that Kenny has never explained why he was in possession of the firearm.
"It posed a considerable threat to those who were around him at the time and also to those that were potentially going to be affected, as the reason behind why he armed himself on that night still remains unknown," he said.
"We take firearms offences incredibly seriously and we are glad we've been able to remove some dangerous weapons that Kenny was illegally keeping in his home, including a gun and ammunition.
"Our work at the Armed Crime Team regarding the serious issue of gun crime continues and this sentencing shows that offences with a firearm are not tolerated."
