Police have revealed how a complex firearms investigation led to the arrest and conviction of two dangerous criminals in southwest London.

Bekki Dean, 27, of Woburn Road, Carshalton and homeless Bradley Clancy, 39, were sentenced to five and 12 years imprisonment for their roles in the scheme.

They were convicted on Friday, September 11 last year following a trial at Croydon Crown Court.

Dean was found guilty of conspiracy to transfer a firearm, and possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Clancy was found guilty of possession of ammunition and a firearm with intent to endanger life. He was also found guilty of conspiracy to transfer a firearm.

The first arrest came shortly before 9pm on August 14, 2019.

Want more crime updates from across the capital? Join our Facebook group for the latest crime and court news

Specialist firearms officers, and officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command stopped a black Volkswagen Polo on Peterborough Road in Carshalton.

The vehicle was being driven by Dean, who was removed from the car in order for the officers to conduct a search.

According to police, at the time that she was stopped, Dean was on the phone to someone listed in her contacts as 'Bradley'. She was asked if there was anything in the car she should tell the officers about before they carried out the search, to which she replied that there was a gun in a Louis Vuitton bag.

 

The bag was on the front passenger seat and within that was a smaller black bag that held a pistol and a magazine containing multiple rounds of ammunition.

Dean was arrested for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Officers said she made no comment when she was cautioned, and was taken to a south London police station.

During the interview, she gave a prepared statement claiming that she was under duress to transport the gun by a man who she was completely intimidated by and truly in fear of.

She made no reply to all other questions and did not provide any details of who this person was. She was asked who Bradley was and whether he had anything to do with this firearm at the time, but did not provide any details.

She was charged with the offence for which she had been arrested.

Once Dean was charged and remanded, Specialist Crime officers were investigating who she was meeting to possibly deliver the firearm to and sent the firearm away for forensic testing.

Dean's phone was investigated and was found to contain images she had saved of a driving licence attributed to Bradley Clancy.

Further investigation showed that Clancy was in contact with Dean on the night of her arrest.

Further analysis revealed that Dean and Clancy had texted or called each other five times between 5.15pm and 8.50pm; including when she was on the phone to him at the time of her arrest.

It also revealed that Clancy’s phone was located a short distance from where officers arrested Dean, potentially within viewing distance of the police stop.

Officers located and arrested Clancy two months later on October 17 in connection with the investigation.

Your Local Guardian:

They took a swab of DNA from him before he was released under investigation.

This swab of DNA evidence was compared with DNA found on the muzzle of the Glock gun. The two matched, proving Clancy had been in previous contact with the gun that Dean was transporting.

Clancy was again arrested and charged with conspiring to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life / enable another to do so.

Detective Constable Andy Snazell, from the Met’s Specialist Crime South team who led the investigation, said: “The stop on this vehicle led to the safe removal of a dangerous firearm from the streets of London and the subsequent investigation has resulted in these convictions.

“Today’s sentence results show how seriously the police and Courts take gun crime offences and as a result of their actions, Dean and Clancy will be spending a significant number of years behind bars.”

The Met says tackling violence remains its top priority. Taking firearms off the streets, stopping the supply and transporting of guns, and identifying criminals who have access to dangerous weapons forms a key part of that commitment.

Every year, hundreds of live firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition are seized. 

Your Local Guardian:

 

Communities have a vital role to play in tackling violent crime and we urge anyone who may have information to contact police – on 101, or 999 in an emergency or if the call relates to serious crime - so that we can tackle violence together.

If you would prefer not to deal with police, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously; they will not ask for your name and will not trace your call.

If you are worried that a family member or friend might be involved in criminality or vulnerable to people who may be violent, visit Knife Free or the NSPCC website for help and advice.