British Transport Police has reported a man from Kent, who converted a staple gun into a deadly firearm and tested its firepower in a field, has been jailed, following a (BTP) investigation launched in 2024.
Jamie Young, was caught with the weapon in his suitcase on-board a train in March 2024.
After pleading guilty to Manufacturing a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm earlier this year, he appeared at St Albans Crown Court on 8 December where a judge sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. On the evening of 1 March 2024, an off-duty Metropolitan Police Service officer spotted Young taking drugs on the train in Hertfordshire.
His actions were reported to police, and he was removed from the train at St Albans City station and searched. Inside a pocket of Young’s suitcase was the staple gun that appeared to have been converted into a gun. He was arrested and the suspected firearm was seized, along with two phones and a small amount of crack cocaine found on his person.
The weapon was tested by specialists, and it was classified as a viable firearm equipped with a barrel to fire ammunition. Analysis of his mobile phones uncovered further evidence connecting Young to the homemade gun, including a video of him test firing it in a field as well as a self-portrait photo with the weapon.
In police interview, Young claimed the firearm was placed in the suitcase a few months before his trip and he wasn’t aware it was still inside until police officers pulled it out. BTP Detective Constable Agata Barker said:
“Thanks to the sharp actions of the off-duty officer travelling on the train that day, a lethal weapon has been removed from criminal circulation. Only Jamie Young knows what he planned to do with his homemade gun, but if it was used against someone it could have resulted in fatal consequences.
“From material found on his phones it’s clear he was enamoured with his creation. And now, following our investigation, he has a long stint behind bars to rethink his interests. Anyone carrying weapons on the railway should know that we will find them, and we will ensure they face justice.”