Gold Bars and Guns Found at Cannabis Suspect’s Bromley Home
Michael Naughton’s Bromley home wasn’t just hiding traces of cannabis — it also concealed handguns, a stash of cash, and gold bars.
Cannabis Factory Leads Police Straight to Naughton
Back in July 2020, officers uncovered a huge cannabis farm of around 200 plants near Lombard Street, Horton Kirby. Forensic tests on a coffee cup lid and cigarette butts found at the scene matched Naughton’s DNA, putting him in the thick of it.
Eventually, on 30 November, cops swooped on his Wrenthorpe Road address. What they found shocked them.
Weapons and Wads of Cash Hidden in Wardrobe
- Six gold bars and piles of cash stashed in a wardrobe
- Naughton caught trying to hide a revolver behind clothes
- A second firearm discovered in the kitchen
- Over £21,000 in cash seized alongside the gold
All valuables were confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Naughton’s Excuses Fall Flat at Maidstone Crown Court
During police questioning, Naughton claimed the guns came from decades-old house clearances and insisted he kept them just because he found them ‘interesting’. He swore the cash and gold were his through inheritance and savings.
But on 19 February 2021, the 54-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal firearm possession plus ammunition possession without a certificate. The court also kept two charges of criminal property possession on file.
Detective Constable Chris Relf, West Kent CID, said: “Kent Police is determined to rid our streets of illegal guns and disrupt serious crime. One of the firearms we recovered was fully operational, and the second could have been made lethal with a few tweaks.
“Though we couldn’t prove Naughton was directly involved with the cannabis farm, his DNA showed he had been in the room where the plants were found, justifying the search warrant on his home.”
