Merchant Navy veteran caged after being discovered with firearms stash

John Dobb was sentenced to five years behind bars at Manchester Minshull Street

A 73-year-old Merchant Navy veteran from Oldham has been jailed after admitting a number of firearm offences.

Police discovered an illegal sawn-off shotgun at John Dobb's home in Bardsley Vale - along with guns that weren't properly stored or didn't have the proper certificate.

About 200 rounds of ammunition were also found - some of which had been modified.

He was sentenced to five years behind bars at Manchester Minshull Street.

A five-year term is mandatory for possession under changes to the Firearms Act 1968, brought in to tackle gang crime.

He was also sentenced for eight other offences - which will run concurrently.

Dobb will serve half before being released on licence.

The judge dismissed his defence's claims that Dobb's age and ill health was an exceptional circumstance to avoid a prison term.

The court was told he has diabetes, arthritis in his feet, blood clots and a heart murmur - but the judge didn't believe it was an exceptional circumstance.

Dobb, who had no previous convictions, claimed he only used the shotgun for "rabbitting and other pest control".

Officers were alerted after his neighbour's cat was caught in a gin trap - with a vet also finding the animal had a bullet in its paw.

A number of properly-licenced and securely-stored rifles were uncovered when GMP's anti-gang unit XCalibre raided Dobb's home in August.

However, they also found three weapons that weren't properly licenced.

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