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Man jailed for gun possession

7/ 8/2008

A MAN has been jailed after being caught with three guns in his house.

Alan George Hitchen (born 09/08/77) of Hall Street, Offerton has been sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court of three counts of possession of a firearm and three counts of possession of ammunition.

Police officers executed a search warrant at Hitchen's house on the morning of Tuesday 12 February. When asked if he had anything in the house, he said he had firearms.

Hitchen was immediately arrested and taken into police custody.

Officers found a Barretta long barrelled shotgun, a sawn off shotgun and a Wesson Magnum handgun. A number of 44 calibre cartridges, 9mm cartridges and shotgun cartridges, as well as a small amount of cannabis, were found.

Hitchen, the managing director of a security company, has argued that he recovered the guns from other people during his work duties and was unsure of what to do with them.

Detective Constable Rich McCorry said: "Even if Hitchen's argument was to be believed, the point is that he knowingly held guns and ammunition in his house.

"We will not tolerate guns on our streets, and those that possess them will pay a heavy price, as Hitchen has today."