A drugs gang from Trafford involved in the possession of a stash of lethal guns and grenades in the Stretford area have been sentenced to a combined total of over 42 years in jail.
After a hearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court today, Nathan Morgan (37), Brian Day (50), Gareth Curtis (45), and Sarah Tervet (43) were jailed after a probe into the gang’s conspiracy to possess firearms and grenades, as well as the supply of class A and B drugs.
The court heard that Morgan, of Milton Close, was an important part of the conspiracy and was responsible for the conspiracy to possess four grenades, three firearms and ammunition, in addition to his plot to supply cocaine and heroin on a substantial scale – estimated to be worth between £50,000 and £100,000.
Police were able to expose and ultimately dismantle the group following a series of warrants in the Stretford area in late-January 2021, which included a warrant at Tervet’s address that saw police recover a quantity of ammunition, a firearm hidden in a JD bag in a cupboard and two hand grenades.
They recovered mobile devices that helped link the stash of weapons to the men associated with the conspiracy and found text messages to Tervet from Curtis stating ‘something ain’t right here’ at the time the warrants were being executed – and contact between Morgan, Tervet and Curtis continued into the early hours of the next day.
When the weapons were forensically examined, the grenades were found to contain explosives which had the capability of causing serious injury and possibly death.
DNA belonging to Gareth Curtis was located on the grenades, firearm and ammunition.
An armed strike on Taylors Road, Stretford, saw two grenades recovered in a rucksack that were linked to Morgan before he was detained by armed officers on Friday 29 January. Officers seized two sets of keys and entered two properties on Milton Close where police discovered a large quantity of cocaine, heroin and cannabis.
There were also traces of cocaine and cannabis on some weighing scales inside one of the addresses, and two cannabis farms in the other.
Officers continued the offensive on the group, targeting Day’s address on the same street later that afternoon where we found two handguns – with his DNA on both weapons – and evidence of class A drug supply.
Today, Nathan Morgan was sentenced to 21 years and three months after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, conspiracy to possess ammunition, conspiracy to supply class A drugs, and possession with intent to supply and production of cannabis.
Gareth Curtis, of Milton Close, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon, conspiracy to possess ammunition and was ordered to serve 10 years and four months.
Sarah Tervet pleaded on her first day of trial to conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to possess ammunition and will now spend four years and eight months behind bars.
Brian Day – who also admitted his guilt on the first day of trial – was jailed for six years and eight months for conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Detective Inspector Roger Smethurst, of our Serious and Organised Crime Group, said: “Some of the weapons we recovered during the course of this investigation no doubt had the potential to be lethal and were certainly in the hands of an organised gang who were keen to do harm.
“We know that at the time of us conducting this operation there will have been concern in the local community in Stretford, but I hope the action we took back then – and being able to bring them to justice today – shows our commitment to ensuring those involved in the possession of such dangerous weapons are taken out of society and are put behind bars for their actions.
“Organised crime often operates out of sight but can have a very real impact in communities, and it is therefore vital that we continue to do all we can to take down these unscrupulous individuals.
“We always welcome intelligence from the public that helps us find these criminals and I urge anyone with suspicions or concerns about suspicious activity in their area to contact us or Crimestoppers so we can take action.”
