Birmingham man found with loaded gun in car jailed
Ricardo Cousins, 33, was sentenced to nine years in prison.
A man who was carrying a loaded gun in his car while driving around Birmingham has been sentenced to nine years in prison.
Ricardo Cousins, of Amerhurst Avenue, failed to stop for police while driving erratically on Handsworth Wood Road at around 4.30pm on 14 February last year.
The 33-year-old drove off at speed when officers flagged him down.
After a brief chase, officers found Cousins in his Skoda Fabia parked in nearby Antrobus Road.
They uncovered a pistol, which was loaded with five rounds of ammunition, in a bag under the car.
Cousins was arrested and subsequently charged with possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and for dangerous driving.
He was sentenced to nine years in prison for the firearms offence and was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Detective Inspector Matt Underwood, from Birmingham CID at West Midlands Police said:
“Ricardo Cousins was brazenly driving around Birmingham during the day while in possession of a loaded gun. Fortunately, our officers were alert to his careless driving and gave chase after he failed to stop for us.
“We stopped him before he could cause serious harm but his offence was no less grievous. Guns are lethal weapons, which as well as having the potential to kill and seriously maim, cause fear and alarm among the community. We won’t put up with people carrying firearms illegally and the sentence Cousins received shows that there will be serious consequence for those who do.”