Man Caught with Illegal Sawn-Off Shotgun in Rochester
Detectives swooped on a Castle Street property in Rochester after identifying Robert Reading as a firearms suspect.
On Friday 2 September 2022, officers executed a search warrant. They found several legally owned air weapons — but that wasn’t all. Hidden away in the loft was a sawn-off shotgun with ammunition.
Reading Arrested and Sentenced
Robert Reading, 50, was hauled in immediately and later charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.
He pleaded guilty to this and another offence investigated by the Met Police. On Wednesday 24 April 2024, Reading was slammed with a total prison sentence of six and a half years at Inner London Crown Court.
Police Praise Swift Action in Removing Dangerous Weapon
“Robert Reading admitted to having a fascination with firearms but that is no excuse for him having a sawn-off shotgun hidden in his home,” said Detective Constable Mark Simcox from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.
“The shotgun was a working firearm with the potential to cause serious injury or death in the wrong hands. It was crucial we removed and destroyed it.”
“Kent Police will always act when tipped off about illegal firearms to protect potential victims and the public.”
