Three men have been jailed after police uncovered an arsenal of loaded firearms hidden inside a modified car in Coventry, along with cocaine, cash and evidence linking the group to organised criminal activity. The investigation began on 11 November last year, when officers searched a Vauxhall Corsa parked on a driveway in Wappenbury Road, Coventry. Inside the vehicle, officers discovered two sawn-off shotguns and two handguns, all stored with ammunition. Police said the vehicle had been specially modified, with a hole cut through the partition between the cabin and boot, allowing the weapons to be accessed quickly from inside the car.
DNA and Fingerprints Link Men to Weapons
The vehicle was parked outside a property linked to Kai Williams, who was arrested the following day at a nearby address. During searches of the property, officers recovered:
- A key to the Vauxhall Corsa
- Cocaine
- Drug weighing scales
- Burner mobile phones
Forensic examinations later revealed Williams’ DNA on one of the handguns and one of the shotguns, while his fingerprints were found on the bag used to store the weapons. Further DNA analysis linked two other men – Junior Dube and Tyreece Barnett-Leslie – to the firearms.
Snapchat Messages Revealed Firearms
Investigators also examined Barnett-Leslie’s mobile phone, uncovering Snapchat messages sent by Dube containing numerous photographs of firearms. Among the images were photographs of the recovered shotgun and handgun bearing the pair’s DNA. Police believe Dube supplied the firearms after establishing one of the photographs had been taken inside his home. When armed officers moved in to arrest Barnett-Leslie, he attempted to dispose of evidence by throwing a bag of cocaine from his bedroom window.
Lengthy Prison Sentences
All three men appeared before Warwick Crown Court on Wednesday 29 July, where they were sentenced. Kai Williams, 27, of Wappenbury Road, Coventry, admitted:
- Possession of a handgun
- Possession of a sawn-off shotgun
- Possession of cocaine with intent to supply
He was jailed for seven years and 11 months. Junior Dube, 23, of Purcell Road, admitted possession of a sawn-off shotgun and a handgun and was sentenced to five years and one month in prison. Tyreece Barnett-Leslie, 18, of Crediton Close, admitted possession of a handgun, possession of criminal property and possession of cocaine with intent to supply. He was jailed for four years.
Police Target Organised Crime
Police said the investigation removed four dangerous firearms and ammunition from the streets, preventing them from being used in serious violence. Detectives added that the case highlights the continued work being carried out to dismantle organised crime groups involved in firearms and drug trafficking across the West Midlands.
