The Leader of Nottingham City Council has welcomed a lengthy jail sentence handed down to a man caught with a loaded gun in Nottingham.

Councillor Jon Collins said he hoped it would act as a deterrent to others considering carrying guns.

Makan Dayil, 28, of Beardsley Gardens, The Meadows, was jailed for ten years following his conviction at Nottingham Crown Court for possessing the gun and ammunition, after police found a revolver loaded with five bullets in his car on Queens Drive, Nottingham, on August 29, last year.

Judge Michael Stokes QC, Recorder of Nottingham, said:

"A few years ago this city was notorious in the public mind for the use of firearms, and over the last few years the police have done a great deal of work to reduce the use of firearms in this city, and the judges have passed very long sentences on individuals who have used firearms.

"The minimum sentence is far too low in this case because of the seriously aggravating feature of the gun being loaded."

Welcoming the ten-year jail term, Councillor Collins said:

“If people think they face a long stretch in prison if they are caught in possession of a gun, it will make them think twice about doing so. Sentences like this help to further reduce the scourge of guns in our society. I commend the police for bringing this case to court and the judge for passing an appropriately stiff sentence.”

Nottingham has had significant success in reducing gun crime. There’s been a fall of over 60% in the number of shots fired between 2003 and 2007, to just 20 incidents and no deaths last year. Latest figures from the local Crime and Drugs Partnership show a 28% overall fall in crime over the same period.

For more information on latest crime figures, click here.