At 9 p.m. on March 4, 2021, a man and a woman were driving through town when they noticed a group of men running out of an alleyway and into a Volkswagen Polo.
Worried about what was going on, they drove away, returning to Newcomen Road 15 minutes later, hoping that whatever was going on had ended.
When they returned, however, the Polo appeared and attempted to bar them from entering.
Daniel John Stray, formerly of Wellingborough and known to the couple, then appeared on foot, brandishing a pistol and attempting to smash their car window.
Fortunately, the couple escaped and were able to contact police.
Officers later discovered a knife, ammunition, shotgun cartridges, and three 9mm rounds compatible with a handgun at Stray’s residence.
Following a complex investigation led by the Force’s Operation Revive Team, sufficient evidence was gathered to arrest and charge Stray with multiple firearms offences.
Stray was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison last week (May 27) after pleading guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition and being in possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to cause his victim to believe unlawful violence would be used against him at an earlier court hearing at Northampton Crown Court.
The focus of Operation Revive is to tackle gangs and serious violence in Wellingborough, and getting Dan Stray behind bars is an absolutely huge result for the team,” said lead investigator DC Scott Allan.
People like Stray think they’re above the law and beyond our reach.” This case demonstrates that they are not, and we will never give up on our goal of bringing them to justice and, as a result, making Wellingborough a safer place to live for our law-abiding community.
Serious violence and firearms offences are a priority for Northamptonshire Police, and we will continue to work hard to remove dangerous weapons from our streets and prosecute those involved to the full extent of the law.
The team is extremely pleased with the significant sentence handed down here, and my message to Daniel Stray’s associates is clear – you may think you’re one step ahead of us, just like Daniel did, but one day, our patience will pay off, and you, too, will end up behind bars if you continue with a gang-related and violent lifestyle.
