Three jailed for 25 years over gun and ammunition plot

Today (Tuesday 23 January 2024) three men have been sentenced to 25 years in jail.

On Wednesday 15 June 2022, police from GMP Stockport Neighbourhood Crime Team recovered a loaded revolver style handgun and ammunition hidden in a cupboard at an address in Edgeley, Stockport.

The trio were all forensically linked to the weapon, and an investigation was launched by the Stockport Challenger team to understand how this firearm had ended up in Stockport, in their hands.

Hours after the men heard the news that their firearm had been recovered by police, the three conspirators met to plan their next move. One plan included Joshua Gibbons flying to South America to escape potential prosecution. He made the decision to move his flight forward and flee the country to Suriname. Later, police uncovered texts he sent to a friend saying he’d ‘f***ed off man hot for me over there at mo’.

After two months in the sun, Joshua Gibbons returned to the UK via Holyhead ferry port on Saturday 26 August 2022. Knowing he was wanted, he handed himself into Cheadle Police Station.

On Monday 5 September 2022, Jordan Proctor was arrested following a warrant at his house in Rochdale. Tyler Gibbons was also arrested at his house in Edgeley on Thursday 15 November 2022.

As police pieced together the timeline of events, it’s believed that on Saturday 4 June, Josh Gibbons went to Whitworth to collect the firearm from Jordan Proctor. However, shortly after, Gibbons was involved in a road traffic collision on Thorburn Drive, Whitworth. During that investigation, significant footage was found which potentially showed Gibbons removing the firearm from the vehicle before police arrived at the scene.

Following a trial at Bolton Crown Court, the trio were found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm and conspiracy to possess ammunition.

Joshua Gibbons, (10/10/1995), of Durham House, Edgeley, was jailed for 9 years

Tyler Gibbons, (D21/12/2001), of Durham House, Edgeley, was jailed for 7 years

Jordan Proctor, (16/04/1990), of Hall Fold, Lancashire, was jailed for 9 years

Detective Constable Jon Greenslade, from GMP’s Stockport district, said: “This was a longstanding investigation which spanned over 18 months. None of the defendants offered any explanation into the presence of their DNA on the firearms, ammunition, or any context of their association, meaning it was for police to prove.

“And that’s exactly what we did. Working with partners and utilising resources from across the force we were able to remove a deadly weapon from our community and bring those involved in firearms possession and distribution to justice.

“Programme Challenger will continue to clamp down on criminals who think they don't have to follow the same rules as the rest of us, and regularly endanger others with their acts.

Kate Green, Deputy Mayor of Police, Crime, Criminal Justice, and Fire, said: “This is excellent work from our Stockport Challenger Team. It shows that we will leave no stone unturned in taking action to seize criminal items and this work goes a long way to clamping down on serious, organised crime.

Sentences like these demonstrate to our Greater Manchester communities that criminals will be caught and brought to justice.”

If you have any information about criminal behaviour, please do get in touch with us. You can contact 101, report information at gmp.police.uk, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.