Man sentenced for fraud involving firearms
A man has been fined £1,000 and handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for fraud involving firearms.
Jay Wingrove, 60, from Eastville, Bristol, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday 3 March.
Other firearms owned by Wingrove were also subject to a forfeiture order after a unanimous jury found him guilty of fraud and producing a false certificate with a view to purchasing a firearm after a two-day trial at the same court in January.
Wingrove used a fraudulent Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) certificate to try and buy a .223 calibre rifle from a genuine dealer, who immediately noticed anomalies on the certificate and became suspicious.
The dealer then contacted Avon and Somerset Police, as the force named on the fraudulent certificate, who subsequently confirmed it was not genuine and advised the sale to be cancelled on 7 February 2024.
At the time of Wingrove’s arrest on suspicion of fraud two days later, he was a firearms certificate holder with Avon and Somerset Police and legally possessed guns at his home address.
These firearms were seized and his certificates revoked while police carried out an investigation.
An examination of all firearms showed he was authorised to possess them in line with his then current firearms licensing.
When detectives interviewed Wingrove, he admitted obtaining a digital copy of a genuine RFD certificate which he edited to include a fictional firearms dealer name to try and pass himself off as a genuine, accredited vendor.
Ahead of sentencing, the judge expressed the serious nature of the offending as firearms certification exists to ensure the buying, selling, and owning of guns is properly regulated.
Designated Investigating Officer Nick Long, from CID North, said: “The enforcement of the laws governing the ownership of firearms are always enforced rigorously.
“These are deadly weapons and all firearms owners should know that any contravention of the laws will result in severe penalties.
“In this case, Jay Wingrove has shown a flagrant and opportunistic disregard for the long-established legislation surrounding firearms ownership. I am happy with the sentence passed and it should serve as a warning to all when buying and selling firearms.”
If you are a firearm certificate holder and would like further information on how to check if a firearm certificate is genuine, the National Crime Agency have information available on their website: https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/firearms/know-your-uk-firearms-documents