Exclusive:Gunman pleads guilty to catalogue of firearm and ammunition offences all committed on same day
48-year-old gunman admits possessing self-loading pistol when banned for life
A gunman is facing a prison sentence of several years after admitting a catalogue of firearm offences.
Ben Dearden, aged 48, pleaded guilty to crimes including possessing a prohibited firearm - namely a self-loading pistol - and possessing a firearm when prohibited for life, during a Sheffield Crown Court hearing held on Wednesday (April 15, 2026).
The offences were all committed on the same day.
Charge information shows Dearden was prohibited from possessing a firearm for life, after receiving a term of imprisonment of three years and one month.
Dearden, of Fitzwilliam Road, Eastwood, Rotherham, also admitted possessing ammunition for a firearm without a certificate and possessing ammunition for a firearm when prohibited for life during the same hearing.
All four offences were committed in Rotherham on Monday, March 16, 2026.
In the United Kingdom, possession of a firearm carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, unless exceptional circumstances can be proven.
Dearden’s conviction for possessing a firearm when prohibited for life is likely to be regarded as an aggravating feature.
His case was adjourned until July 2026, when he will be sentenced for all four offences.
Dearden was remanded into custody until then.