Baggy trousers were teen’s downfall
A loaded revolver accidentally fell out of a teenager’s baggy jeans when he was randomly stopped by police at Notting Hill Carnival, a court heard today (WED).
Officers searched Owen Neves, 18, after he was caught with cannabis in the same location at the previous carnival.
As the officers frisked the teenager the revolver loaded with five live bullets tumbled from his low slung trousers, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
Prosecutor Denise Johnson said the random stop potentially ‘saved a life’.
‘On 28 August this year at Notting Hill Carnival police offices performed a random stop on Harrow Road at the junction with Ladbroke Grove,’ she said.
‘The defendant was seen walking behind two big men.
‘An officer picked him out as he seemed to be hiding behind the two men, when they did a name check they found he had been stopped for possession of cannabis a year to the day at the same spot.
‘He was searched and officers saw a sock fell from the waistband.
‘There was a revolver and five rounds of ammo ready to fire and capable of discharging found within the sock.’
Neves, who goes by the name Switch, had to be restrained by the officers.
When one asked ‘what’s in the sock, is that what I think it is’ Neves replied ‘I got asked to carry it, I didn’t look at it I swear’, said Ms Johnson.
On the way to West End Central Police Station he told ‘I just got paid to carry it’, the court heard.
The gun was a modified blank firing revolver converted to discharge .22 rounds, said Ms Johnson.
Neves, who attended court today with his dad and other family members, gave a no comment interview to police.
He has no previous convictions.
Police made more than 300 arrests and 28 officers were injured at the two-day carnival over the bank holiday weekend.
Scotland Yard said officers made 313 arrests for a range of offences including 112 for drugs and 58 for offensive weapons.
Twenty-eight officers were injured across both days, while 17 arrests were made for assault on police, the Met said.
Three people were injured when an acidic liquid was thrown over a crowd near Ladbroke Grove on Sunday evening.
Neves, of (87) Park Lane, Eastfield, Peterborough indicated a guilty plea to possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition without a certificate and obstructing a police officer.
District Judge Nina Tempia remanded him in custody to next appear for a plea and trial preparation hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 27 September.
