As South Yorkshire Police work to take guns off our streets, pictured here are the criminals who have been jailed for their roles in gun-related offences in 2026 so far.
12 men and a woman have also been brought to justice for their roles in a Sheffield-based illegal gun factory, which was thought to be the largest of its kind in the UK.
Other gun criminals sent to begin prison sentences this year include a “dangerous” man who carried out a revenge shooting in the days after being released from jail for pointing a gun at a police officer.
Possession of a firearm carries a minimum mandatory sentence of five years.
Visit the links below for more detailed court reports on the cases featured here:
- Murder gang jailed for 118 years after young man is killed in drug feud
- Ethan Hallows: Murderer who fled to Dubai after young dad was gunned down in Sheffield is jailed for life
- Drugged-up duo fired sawn-off shotgun at woman's bedroom window over village feud
- Twelve men jailed for massive operation to convert blank firing weapons into deadly firearms in Sheffield
- Tearful woman begs parents to look after her dog as she is jailed for role in Sheffield gun gang operation
- Thug carried out Rotherham "revenge" shooting just one week after his release prison for pointing gun at cops
- Gun-toting Sheffield drug dealer found with firearm and ammunition when cops knocked over his moped
To report a crime, call South Yorkshire Police on 101.
Call 999 in an emergency.
1. 24 people jailed over firearm offences in 2026
Top row, left to right: Zakaria West; Arron Ward; Delroy Riley; Andrew Loton; Danny Milner and Antonio Lewis. Second row, left to right: Paul Dungworth; Ashley Gregory; Joshua Drury; Ashley Stevenson; Emma Jelly and Callum Rogers. Third row, left to right: Oliver Jebson; Paul Oates; Samuel Jebson; Demi Dunford, Osai Williams and Alex Taff. Bottom row, left to right: Andrew Horton; Ethan Hallows; Joshua Stevens; Luke Rushforth; Sami Ali and Craig Berridge | SYP/Adobe
2. Gun factory gang: jailed for combined total of 128 years, eight months
Between March and July 2023, police executed a series of intelligence-led warrant across Sheffield to uncover what they have described as one of the UK's largest blank firing weapon conversion operations. So-called conversion factories - which turn legal blank firing weapons like air guns into deadly firearms - in the Darnall, Castlebeck, Richmond and Beighton areas of Sheffield were raided by officers. In total, they recovered 108 blank firing weapons in various stages of conversion, as well as a significant amount of blank firing ammunition which had been converted into viable ammunition. As the raids were carried out, detectives worked to identify the group responsible for this widespread operation and through CCTV trawls search warrants and proactive vehicle stops by neighbouring forces, investigators developed an in-depth picture of the hierarchal structure of the group. In total, 13 people have now been charged and convicted in association with this criminal operation. Top row, left to right: Zakaria West - jailed for 16 years; Arron Ward - jailed for 16 years; Delroy Riley - jailed for 13 years; Andrew Loton - jailed for 12 years. Middle row left to right: Danny Milner - jailed for 18 years; Antonio Lewis - jailed for 17 years; Paul Dungworth - jailed for 11 years, six months; Ashley Gregory - jailed for 11 years, eight months. Bottom row, left to right: Joshua Drury - jailed for 11 years; Ashley Stevenson - jailed for nine years and Emma Jelly - jailed for two years, six months | SYP
3. Would-be robbers who shot two innocent men jailed for combined total of 125 years
A gang of “crooks” armed with a semi-automatic pistol and a knife shot two innocent men and “intended to kill” any human being who got in the way of their plot to rob a cannabis factory. Sheffield Crown Court heard how Samuel Jebson, Oliver Jebson, Paul Oates and Callum Rogers were planning to rob a nearby cannabis factory when they attempted to gun down and murder two innocent men who happened to be located near to the illegal grow. Sending the four Rotherham men to begin prison sentences totalling 125 years, The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, described them as “local crooks who acquired a gun and used it to perpetrate a serious crime.” He told them: “Those who use guns to perpetrate other crimes, and have a clear intention to kill anyone who gets in their way - particularly as part of a joint enterprise must expect - and will receive - very extreme punishments.” “You each harboured an intention to kill if trouble arose. The consequence was merely an overture to what happened.” “This was a joint enterprise, in which you all participated, and each of you had a clear intention to kill” Pictured, left to right: Callum Rogers; Oliver Jebson; Paul Oates and Samuel Jebson | SYP
4. Demi Dunford, Osai Williams, Alex Taff and Andrew Horton: Drug gang jailed for 118 years for murdering rival in city shooting
Four people - Demi Dunford, Osai Williams, Alex Taff and Andrew Horton - were found guilty of the murder of Abdullah Hassan in a fatal shooting in Sheffield in 2023. The mastermind behind the killing, Demi Dunford, aged 29, was jailed for a minimum of 31 years over Abdullah Hassan’s death, after being found guilty of murder following a trial. She organised the “cold blooded, targeted shooting and murder,” jurors were told by prosecutor Stephen Wood KC, when the case was opened at Sheffield Crown Court last year. Abdullah, 25, was shot in an incident on Callow Drive, Gleadless Valley, in the early hours of April 9, 2023. He was lured out of his flat in the dead of night and figures lying in wait “emerged from the shadows” and gunned him down. Abdullah had received a call from someone pretending to want to buy drugs from him. Dunford, of Derby Street, Heeley, organised the hit and recruited Alex Taff, 31, Osai Williams, 29 and Andrew Horton, 47, to help her execute the plan. They were all sentenced in January 2026 on the basis that although only one person pulled the trigger, they were all involved. Osai Williams, 29, was found guilty of murder, grievous bodily harm, two counts of possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply, possession of controlled dugs and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to 32 years. Demi Dunford, 29, was found guilty of murder, two counts of possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply, possession of controlled drugs and possession of a prohibited weapon. She was sentenced to 31 years. Andrew Horton, 47, was found guilty of murder, two counts of robbery, theft from person, fraud and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. He was sentenced to 28 years. Alex Taff, 31, was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to 27 years. | SYP