Gun dealer 'caught in police sting'

5:10pm Wednesday 6th June 2007

AN ELVIS lookalike was caught selling illegal pistols from his home after a police operation, a court heard.

Michael Shepherd, aged 56, was caught red-handed selling revolvers to undercover officers from his house in Dartford, the Old Bailey was told.

Elvis fan Shepherd came to the attention of police when he started advertising guns on the internet.

Prosecutor Mark Gadsden said two undercover detectives went to Shepherd's house in Wentworth Drive and he agreed to sell them pistols.

Shepherd also allegedly offered to sell the officers a Belgian revolver, a French service revolver, a Smith and Wesson altered to fire Russian military issue .44 bullets and a British Bulldog .32 calibre pistol.

Police seized a cache of around 900 firearms from Shepherd's house on September 13 last year, the court heard.

The haul included illegal weapons including Browning semi-automatic pistols, double-barrelled shotguns, Remington double-barrelled pistols and Wild West-style Colt single-shot guns.

Mr Gadsden said Shepherd was giving his customers the go-ahead to use the weapons to kill people.

He added: "The undercover officer could have been a bank robber, he could have been a murderer, he could have been anybody."

Shepherd, who is registered with Kent police as a firearms dealer, claims the guns are all antiques.

He insists he only offered them for sale "as a curiosity or ornament" to gun collectors, which would make them legal.

But prosecutors say he was deliberately supplying weapons to non-collectors.

Shepherd was caught when officers from Operation Trident, which investigating black on black murders, recovered a Smith and Wesson revolver from a youth in the Old Kent Road on December 14, 2005.

Mr Gadsen said: "It was old but it was in good condition and in working order when it was fired in the laboratory.

"It has been possible to identify this firearm as having been previously advertised for sale on the defendant's website."

Shepherd is accused of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to cause fear of violence, eight counts of selling or transferring a prohibited weapon, 12 counts of possessing a prohibited weapon and one count of possessing explosives.

He denies all 22 charges.

The trial continues.

Explore News Shopper