Man jailed for life for converting machine guns
Thursday, 28 Aug 2008 16:05
Grant Wilkinson has been jailed for life today
A 34-year-old man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of converting imitation firearms into live weapons.
Grant Wilkinson was sentenced to life behind bars at Reading crown court and ordered to serve a minimum of 11 years in prison.
On Wednesday, he was convicted of seven offences of converting and supplying firearms and ammunition linked to eight known murders.
Wilkinson adapted replica submachine guns, Mac-10, in his shed near Three Mile Cross, near Reading.
Police previously declared that 51 shootings in London, Birmingham and Manchester were linked to guns the 34-year-old converted and sold.
One of which was used in the death of police officer Sharon Beshenivsky during an armed robbery in Bradford in 2005.
A £10,000 reward was offered yesterday by the Metropolitan police for any information leading to the recovery of 40 MAC 10s and/or the arrest of those involved in offences where the weapons have been used.
The 40 weapons are part pf a batch of 90 Wilkinson was sold by a company called Sabre Defence.