Leamington man jailed after stealing shotgun from house in the town

Duane Lloyd Taylor, 28, of Mason Avenue, Leamington, was jailed for 15 years.

He was told he will serve a minimum of 10 years.

Taylor broke into the house and stole the weapon on April 3 .

Taylor was arrested at a flat in Warwick Place, in the town, on April 5 after intelligence linked him to the offence.

When officers arrested him they found seized the stolen shotgun from the flat.

The barrel of the shotgun had been sawn off and it had been loaded with two live cartridges.

When interviewed by officers Taylor refused to provide any comment.

On September 3 2019, following a week-long trial at Warwick Crown Court, Taylor was found guilty of burglary, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing an altered firearm and shortening of a shotgun.

Det Con Paul Luke of the Leamington Offender Unit said: “We have successfully put a very dangerous man behind bars.

"The fact that Taylor had sawn of the barrel of the shotgun and loaded it suggested he intended to use it which was extremely concerning.

"Thanks to some excellent work by detectives and patrol officers we quickly identified him as the offender and seized the weapon.”