Awais Naveed: Face of Sheffield man with firearm fascination stashed loaded gun during police chase

• Man taking loaded handgun to address on Abbeydale Road attempted to stash it on ‘low roof’ during police chase
• Judge warns significant sentences should be expected by those who involve themselves with firearms that ‘bring death, critical injury, fear and intimidation to those living within this city’
• Defendant claims he only acted as a ‘courier’ and was pressured into doing so after racking up cannabis debt

“You were ferrying about on the streets of Sheffield a loaded handgun [with the potential to cause] very serious harm or even death,” Judge Peter Hampton told defendant Awais Naveed.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Naveed’s crimes were exposed after the attention of police officers patrolling Abbeydale Road was drawn to a group of three balaclava-clad men, one of whom was Naveed, at 8.38pm on August 1, 2024.

“When they [police officers] followed them down the road to observe the males, they began to run off. This defendant was one of the three males,” prosecutor Matthew Burdon said.

A sentencing hearing on March 20 heard how as the chase - which got underway when the group was standing near to Hale Street - progressed, Naveed attempted to escape down an alleyway.

Mr Burdon described how an officer pursuing Naveed observed him throwing a carrier bag he was carrying on a ‘low roof’ as he continued to run away.

“He managed to catch up with you and detain you,” Judge Peter Hampton told Naveed, formerly of Midhill Crescent, Heeley, Sheffield.

“You were ferrying about on the streets of Sheffield a loaded handgun [with the potential to cause] very serious harm or even death.”

The police officer climbed onto the roof to retrieve Naveed’s carrier bag, and concealed within, was an adapted, silver handgun just under 20 centimetres long, which was loaded with compatible ammunition, the court heard.

Prosecutor Mr Burdon said Naveed was also found to be in possession of a flick knife, ‘secreted’ in the waistband of his trousers, along with a lock knife on key ring.

Police analysis and a ‘test firing’ revealed the handgun, which had been adapted to remove obstructions to the weapon’s barrel, to be a viable firearm.

Ammunition found within the firearm’s magazine had been adapted, having initially been ‘blank,’ was also found to be ‘viable,’ the court heard.

Naveed, who was aged 21 when he was arrested but has since turned 22, answered no comment to all questions posed during his police interview, Mr Burdon told the court.

He went on to enter guilty pleas to charges of possessing a firearm of length less than 30cm / 60cm - prohibited weapon, possession of ammunition without a certificate and possessing a knife in a public place at an earlier hearing.

He entered a basis of plea, some aspects of which were subsequently found to be ‘false,’ including the suggestion that he had merely found the carrier bag containing the loaded handgun, and did not know what was inside.

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Judge Hampton told him: “You now accept - somewhat belatedly - that you knew what you were carrying, and you have accepted that, once the evidence against you became clear.”

“Before that, you effectively put forward a false basis that changed when the contents of your phone were shown.”

Judge Hampton said evidence from Naveed’s phone showed he had accessed a number of videos depicting the use of firearms and ammunition.

“Your phone shows an ongoing, active interest on your part on firearms,” Judge Hampton said.

Other aspects of Naveed’s basis of plea, which have been accepted by prosecutors, have been proceeded with, however.

His barrister, Victoria Smith-Swain confirmed them to be: that Naveed’s role was that of a ‘courier’; that he was ‘pressured’ into taking the illegal weapon to an address on Abbeydale Road by individuals to whom he owed a cannabis debt.

Ms Smith-Swain continued by relaying Naveed’s accepted assertion that the individuals he was seen with were members of the ‘gang’ responsible for exerting such pressure on him, that he was not aware of the firearm’s ‘intended use,’ and that he had not touched the firearm or ammunition, something which would be reflected with forensics on the weapon.

Continuing to Naveed’s mitigation, Ms Smith-Swain told the court that prior to this offending, Naveed had a clean criminal record and also suggested his young age should be considered.

Possession of a prohibited firearm carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, and Ms Smith-Swain did not seek to argue that Naveed’s case had ‘exceptional circumstances’.

Judges are not permitted to step back from the mandatory minimum sentence triggered by such a firearm offence unless a defendant is found to have exceptional circumstances.

She successfully argued, however, that Naveed should not receive an additional - or concurrent - sentence for possessing a lock knife.

Jailing Naveed for five years, Judge Hampton told him: “Firearms such as this bring death, critical injury, fear and intimidation to those living within this city…those who involve themselves in such items must expect severe sentences.”

He continued: “You must have known the dangerous potential of what you were carrying, whatever your part on the chain.”

“You were possessing a lethal weapon for potentially active use in this city.”

Judge Hampton also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the weapons and ammunition seized.