A Chadwell Heath man who hid a sawn-off shotgun in his bedroom at his family home has been jailed.
On June 30, Pawandeep Sandhu was searched for weapons by officers at Seven Kings Park after he and two other men had made off from police.
The 21-year-old was found to have £492 in cash, an iPhone 8, a car key and other personal items on him.
A machete and two lock knives were found in the area of the park where they had previously been seen.
Later that day, when police searched Sandhu's family home, they uncovered a single-barrelled, 12-bore folding shotgun which had been shortened at the barrel and the stock in the bottom drawer of a wardrobe.
This “sawn-off” shotgun was test-fired and found to be in working order and capable of causing lethal injuries.
A black carrier bag containing 37 shotgun cartridges - live and suitable for use with the sawn-off shotgun - was also found, according to the Met.
A further 13 shotgun cartridges were hidden in a sock and there were another 11 in a jacket pocket.
Police say they also found two Samurai swords, a metal safe containing bundles of cash in UK and foreign currency, a cardboard box of blank ammunition, a skeleton-type face mask, a black body armour vest, black gloves and a lock knife.
When interviewed, Sandhu claimed he had only had the items for two to three weeks at the order of an unknown man.
However, his mobile phone records suggested otherwise, and Sandhu confirmed he was the only person to use the device.
A video on his phone, dated March 2 last year, featured Sandhu and what appeared to be the same sawn-off shotgun.
He was charged with possession of a shortened shotgun on July 1.
Sandhu, of Freshwell Avenue, was sentenced to six years behind bars on December 20 at Snaresbrook Crown Court for one count of possession of a prohibited firearm.
He was given an extra three months, to be served consecutively, for a previously suspended sentence for possession of a knife.
Sandhu had pleaded guilty at a hearing on August 13 at the same court.
Det Insp Glenn Butler, of the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: "The Met is always working to remove lethal weapons including guns and knives from the streets of London, taking them out of the hands of people who are a danger to our communities.
"I am incredibly pleased that another deadly firearm has been taken out of circulation and that the sentence reflects the seriousness of Sandhu's actions."
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