Court heard 34-year-old was caught after officers searched a car in Northolt

A Wembley man caught with a loaded gun after police searched a car he was seen getting out of has been jailed for seven years.

Robert Shorter, of Ranelagh Road, was snared after he was spotted by officers in Northolt in the vehicle which had a history of firearm offences.

Isleworth Crown Court heard when the 34-year-old realised he had been spotted by the officers he fled into a nearby address in the hope that he had avoided any police action.

However, the car was kept under observation while armed officers were called to the scene and he was arrested as he left the property.

A search of the car uncovered a loaded converted .38mm Olympic pistol and Shorter was subsequently charge with possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Last week, during his five-day trial Shorter denied any wrongdoing but the jury unanimously found him guilty.

The judge deemed the offence so serious that he sentenced Shorter on the same day as the verdict.

He was sentenced to seven years for possession of the firearm and five for possession of the ammunition.

He will serve his jail terms concurrently.

Detective Sergeant Chris Hudson from Ealing Borough Police Serious Violence Team said: ‘We are really pleased with this result.

“Shorter maintained his innocence throughout this trial and claimed he was the innocent victim of lending the vehicle to his associates and had no knowledge of the firearm in the vehicle.

“However, thanks to the evidence presented, this man is now in jail and no longer a danger to the public.”