Pictured: Royal Marine reservist who has been jailed for trying to sell assault rifles, ammunition, explosives and grenades in £10,000 police sting

Martin Shannon, 43, (pictured) served in each Iraq and Afghanistan 

A Royal Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan was as we speak jailed for 14-and-a-half years for promoting loaded weapons and grenades stolen from a British naval base to an undercover police officer.

Martin Shannon, 43, hoarded firearms and ammunition from RM Poole in Dorset through the course of his profession as a full-time paid reservist.

The industrial diver stashed deadly frag grenades, a completely automated assault rifle, two shotguns and a pistol, together with 1000's of rounds of ammunition in watertight containers in three hides he dug within the New Forest.

Shannon, of Hythe, close to Southampton, claimed he deliberate to promote the navy grade weapons to 'Nice Prepare Robber' kind criminals who wouldn't damage anybody. 

However he was as an alternative snared by 'Vincent', an undercover officer from the Nationwide Crime Company (NCA). 

The undercover officer handed him £10,000 for the sale or mortgage of things together with ammunition and weapons at a gathering in a pub automotive park close to Newbury, Berkshire. 

Shannon, who had been a Royal Marine reservist since 1996, was arrested later the identical day as he left a Tesco grocery store in Winnall, close to Winchester, Hampshire. 

The Previous Bailey heard Shannon was affected by publish traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD) after experiences in Iraq in 2003 and Afghanistan in 2006.

He additionally misplaced two pals within the line of obligation in 2010 and 2014, the courtroom was instructed.

Royal Marine Martin Shannon was seen leaving a Tesco grocery store close to Winchester, Hampshire, earlier than he was arrested 

That is the absolutely automated assault rifle Shannon stashed within the New Forest - near his house in Hythe 

These are among the grenades which had been seized by the Nationwide Crime Company following the investigation 

His barrister Kevin Hill stated the traumatic occasions had been 'past most individuals's comprehension' and Shannon 'grew to become unable to differentiate between navy and civilian life'.

Shannon, a married father-of-two, admitted fifteen counts of possessing ammunition, firearms and explosives on the Previous Bailey in October and was as we speak jailed for 14-and-a-half years.

Choose Richard Marks QC, the Frequent Sergeant of London, instructed him: 'I specific the sturdy hope that lastly you'll obtain the assist you to want.'

The choose added: 'One of many very severe elements of this case is the breach of belief that was concerned in these offences, involving because it did the theft by you of this massively harmful weaponry to which you had entry by purpose of your function as a Royal Marine.'

He continued: 'One other very severe facet of this case is that after this stuff had left your possession and fallen into legal fingers, as I'm fairly glad you believed could be the case, you'd have had completely no management over them and particularly no management over whose fingers they'd fall into, nor of the use as to which they is likely to be put.'

The choose stated he contemplated imposing a life sentence, however added: 'It's obvious from every thing I've learn that you've some excellent qualities and this was out of character.

He additionally stashed a considerable amount of shotgun ammunition in three hides he dug within the New Forest

He then confirmed the officer a sawn-off shotgun (pictured) - with out realising he was undercover

This exhibits a pistol, magazines and a gray tub which was hidden inside a cat litter bag 

'I settle for on the time you started to gather and hoard the sort of weaponry, your psychological state was fragile as a result of signs of PTSD arising out of occasions that occurred throughout your energetic service in Iraq and Afghanistan, together with, however not restricted to the lack of two shut pals.

'Towards this background, this can be a tragic case, particularly on your younger household.'

The courtroom heard self-confessed hoarder Shannon labored on a full-time paid foundation for the Royal Marines for the overwhelming majority of his profession, regardless of sustaining the standing of a reservist, and had entry to munitions saved on the base in Hamworthy, Poole.

Police consider he had been stealing weapons for as much as 4 years and the MOD confirmed two of the weapons had gone lacking from the bottom in October 2012.

It's not thought Shannon joined the Marines to steal weapons and there's no proof he had bought any weapons to criminals.

However NCA Deputy Director of Intelligence Assortment Chris Farrimond stated: 'Our intelligence exhibits he was actively making an attempt to shift them.'

Shannon met the undercover officer at a carpark on the A34 close to Junction 17 of the M4 motorway on the night of September 1.

The courtroom heard he described the weapons, explosives and ammunition in his van as 'navy grade' and instructed him: 'That is the massive stuff.'

The Nationwide Crime Company additionally seized loaded assault rifle magazines after catching Martin Shannon in a £10,000 sting 

A sequence of hand grenades, pyrotechnics and 9mm ammunition was present in a cardboard field

The undercover cop gave Shannon £5,000 for seven hand grenades, and the Marine stated he needed some work.

Julian Evans, prosecuting, stated: 'He stated he was old-fashioned, quaint, loyal and needed to work with the officer as a part of a staff.'

He then confirmed off a sawn-off shotgun, an automated Diemaco assault rifle and a semi-automatic Sig Sauer handgun, which he agreed to mortgage to the officer for an additional £5,000.

Shannon was arrested quickly after the meet within the Chieveley space of Newbury and officers discovered one other 500 rounds of ammunition and a stick of plastic explosives at his house the subsequent day. 

He then led police to a bolt-action shotgun buried subsequent to a prepare monitor.

Shannon instructed police 'I am responsible', however claimed he believed the weapons he bought could be used to rob drug sellers.

Mr Evans added: 'He stated he thought the folks he was promoting the munitions to could be hitting drug sellers, Nice Prepare Robber-type individuals who had been after cash and did not damage folks.

20 bins of 50 x 9mm rounds had been additionally found earlier than Royal Marine reservist Martin Shannon was jailed 

The Nationwide Crime Company additionally found an ammunition field containing 20 bins of 50 x 9mm rounds 

'He thought they'd be stealing from drug sellers, nobody would get damage. He was underneath the impression they'd be placing drug sellers out of enterprise.'

The prosecutor added: 'He thought the explosives could be used to open safes in the midst of the evening - cloak-and-dagger, working off into the sundown with the cash.'

Mr Hill, mitigating, spoke of Shannon's 'exemplary service document' throughout his 20-year navy profession.

He stated he accepts taking gadgets from the bottom for 'some appreciable years', however claims he discovered each shotguns in an deserted automobile within the New Forest.

The courtroom heard psychiatrist Dr Tamsin Peachey recognized Shannon with PTSD and described his 'child-like' state when he mentioned the use he believed the weapons could also be put to.

Mr Hill stated: 'Mr Shannon has endured traumatic occasions which might be past most individuals's comprehension.

Shannon, a married father-of-two, admitted fifteen counts of possessing ammunition, firearms and explosives on the Previous Bailey

He was as we speak jailed for 14-and-a-half years after admitting the offences on the Previous Bailey 

'It's clear options of PTSD had been current from 2003 after his deployment to Iraq and additional triggers are deaths of his shut pals and additional tragic experiences in Afghanistan.' 

Shannon admitted eight counts of possessing ammunition, two counts of getting an explosive substance, three counts of transferring a prohibited weapon.

He additionally admitted one rely of transferring prohibited ammunition and one rely of possessing a firearm with no firearms certificates at an earlier listening to.

NCA Director of Intelligence and Operations Mark Webster stated: 'It's not straightforward to accumulate weapons like these within the UK.

'You will need to get these firearms off the streets in order that they can't be used for what they might be used for.'

Tweet