Three Northamptonshire men sentenced to eight years in prison after threatening driver with 'replica' firearm outside pub

Three Northampton offenders have been sentenced to 103 months in prison after threatening a driver with a 'replica' firearm following an altercation due to in part to 'drugs and the supply of those drugs'.

Ashley Manning, 26, of Booth Park, Round Spinney, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday (February 3) alongside Jordace Sinclair-Baptiste, 28, of Lime Road, Kettering, and Ryan Sinclair, 41, of Howard Road, Wollaston to face charges involving a replica firearm and drugs.

The three's primary offence, possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, took place March 16, 2020 when two cars passed a Northampton pub the three were inside.

CCTV then spotted a flash 'consistent with that of a firearm being discharged', at which the men produced what appeared to be a shotgun.

The prosecuting barrister said: "Two cars were seen driving past the pub. Not long after a flash is seen which could have been the discharge of a firearm. We cannot say that that was the firearm the defendants had, which was not recovered.

"Each of the defendants accepts that they had a firearm in their possession that night, but said that it was an imitation firearm.

"The sequence shown on the CCTV of the pub showed that Sinclair retrieved the imitation firearm from their car, where he handed it to Sinclair-Baptiste, who then handed it to Manning."

The court heard that Manning was then seen to walk over to a car they had spotted outside the pub, where he 'drew an item from behind and raised it into a shooting stance'. No further crimes were committed after that point.

The men argued that this was in response to the apparent gunshot, which they claimed had been aimed at them.

The court heard that the altercation was due to in part to 'drugs and the supply of those drugs'.

Following the incident, both Sinclair and Manning were charged with the possession of, and intent to supply, the Class B drug Cannabis.

Sinclair was caught with no less than six 'growing plants' for the drug, as well as 673 grams of it and more than £5,000 in his possession at the time of his arrest, however he said that he used the drug to 'self medicate' for the arthritis he had in both hips, as well as complex PTSD. Manning was also caught with a quantity of the drug as well.

Her Honour Judge Lucking QC said: "There had already been the discharge of, on the face of it, a genuine firearm.

"I must make it clear that the imitation firearm that was produced in this case was produced in a public location at night in circumstances where I believe there was a high risk of serious disorder and the public saw what they believed to be a fight with firearms on both sides.

"While the item wielded by the defendant was not necessarily a sawn-off shotgun, it gave the appearance of being genuine.

"The production of an imitation firearm, particularly one of a prohibited weapon such as a sawn-off is so serious that nothing other than an immediate custodial sentence would be appropriate."

Manning was sentenced to 25 months, plus 15 months for the drugs, Sinclair-Baptiste was given 27 months for the possession of the replica firearm with intent and Sinclair was given 25 months plus nine for his drugs possession.