Fishwick father and son among organised crime group jailed for more than 50 years

A father and son who kept a criminal arsenal in the back garden of their Fishwick home are among a group jailed for more than half a century.

Mark and Richard Watkins were caught out in a Lancashire Police operation after attempting to sell one of the weapons to a gang from Manchester.

Just before 4pm on 14 July 2021 armed police stopped a Ford Focus car in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester and recovered a HOWA bolt action .308 rifle, telescopic sight, silencer and thirty-nine rounds of ammunition from the boot.

The car was driven by John Lewis. Also on board were Ryan Poole, Lois Carter and a three-year-old boy taken along to make it look as though it were a family day out instead of the transfer of a deadly weapon.

Earlier that same day their own CCTV, used in evidence against them, showed Mark and Richard Watkins digging up the rifle from waste ground at the back of their garden in Merrick Avenue and the weapon being put in the Ford Focus that had driven up from Manchester to collect it.

Mark and Richard Watkins digging up the guns

The deal had earlier been arranged between Richard Watkins and middle-man Christopher German, from Manchester.

Mark and Richard Watkins were arrested later the same day. Police undertook a meticulous search of the Watkins home and neighbouring addresses and found two more firearms – handguns with viable ammunition, one of which was loaded – buried in the back garden.

Footage released by police showed the guns being hidden in the garden, watch below or on YouTube

All of those involved pleaded guilty, except German who was convicted after a trial.

They were sentenced at Preston Crown Court last Friday and received a total of more than 50 years.

Richard Watkins was convicted of conspiracy to possess supply a Firearm and possess supply ammunition with intent to endanger life (contrary to section 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act and possess two prohibited weapons contrary to s.5 (2A) (C) and schedule 6 of the firearms act and prohibited ammunition (for those weapons) for sale or transfer. He was sentenced to 22 years.

Mark Watkins was convicted of conspiracy to possess and supply a firearm with intent to endanger life and received five years two months.

Following the sentencing Lancashire Police’s Head of Crime vowed to continue the fight against organised crime as part of Operation Warrior.

Lancashire Police Head of Crime Det Chief Supt Pauline Stables said: “The tragic effects of the criminal use of firearms has been all too evident in the recent weeks and it is horrifying to imagine the devastation this firearm could have caused if it had reached its intended destination.

“Like elsewhere in the country, serious and organised crime presents a very real threat across our communities, and we do a great deal of work to tackle the problem. Every week we arrest an average of 17 people for organised crime and each month we seize over £55,000 of cash along with significant quantities of drugs.

“Our dedicated teams of detectives are working extremely hard to ensure we use every tactic at our disposal to hunt down offenders, first taking their freedom, then all of their assets.

“Nobody knows their local communities better than the people who live here. I am appealing for the public to help us put these offenders where they belong – behind bars.

“If people have suspicions, we want to hear from them. It might be concerns about a business, unusual activity around a premises or perhaps an individual flashing cash with no obvious means of earning it. Even the tiniest bit of information might be the final piece of evidence we need to take action.

“I hope that today’s sentences reassure people of our commitment to tackling serious and organised crime and making Lancashire a safe place to live, work and visit.”