Man jailed after officers discover pistol under artificial grass

A man who tried to hide a loaded handgun under artificial grass in a garden has been jailed for eight years after officers stormed a house and discovered it as part of a crackdown on gun crime.

At around 5.30am on Sunday 14 July 2020, officers attended Broughton Street and Cheetwood Road in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, following reports of a firearm discharged following a large scale disturbance in the street.

A large group of people left a nearby nightclub and between 15 to 20 men were congregating near to black Audi A3. Following CCTV trawls, officers found that a man was seen to be holding a pistol behind him. As he moved away, he is seen pointing the firearm into the sky and discharging it.

Clive Wallace (03/09/1987) of no fixed address, is then seen to take the firearm off the man and hide it in his waistband. A short time later, Wallace is seen racking the firearm when another man approaches him. He then knocks the man over and makes off in the black Audi.

Eleven days later, officers from GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Firearms Team – stormed an address on Bankfield Drive, Oldham at around 8.15am. During the search, a handgun was located under artificial grass in the rear garden of the address.

Amy Quinn (09/04/1993), of Bankfield Drive, Oldham, was arrested at the scene. Officers seized CCTV during the house search and discovered Quinn on camera hiding the pistol.

She pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm at an earlier hearing and will be sentenced on 1 March 2020.

GMP's Force Critical Wanted Unit managed to track down Wallace just after midday on Thursday 15 August 2020 when officers stopped a taxi on Manchester Road in Ashton-under-Lyne where Wallace was found to be a passenger.

He was searched and found with a knife.

Clive Wallace was jailed for eight years at Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday (28 January 2021) after being found guilty of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder, two counts of disqualified driving, possess a firearm whilst prohibited, possession of a weapon and possession of a bladed article.

Detective Chief Inspector Joe Harrop, from GMP's Serious and Organised Crime Group, said: "Wallace was clearly a dangerous individual and the firearm we found could have ended up being the weapon that led to someone losing their life.

"This sentence sends a message out to those who are involved in crime or have weapons and dangerous firearms in their possession - we will take action.

"I hope this reassures members of the public that Greater Manchester Police is committed to making our communities safer. This sort of crime remains one of our priorities at GMP and we will continue to tackle the issue.

"Though officers proactively gather intelligence, these investigations rely somewhat on those who live and work in our communities. I would therefore like to use this opportunity to encourage anyone with information about serious or organised crime to contact us or Crimestoppers, anonymously."