Jordan Marples-Douglas murder: Sheffield man jailed after removing shotgun from victim's garden

A Sheffield man has been jailed after he retrieved and hid a sawn-off shotgun from a murder victim’s garden to protect his friend’s reputation.
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Peter Taylor, aged 29, of Hollinsend Road, between Gleadless and Hollins End, Sheffield, took the dismantled weapon from murder victim Jordan Marples-Douglas’ garden on Woodthorpe Road, near Richmond, Sheffield and hid it behind a wardrobe at his own home, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told the hearing on December 17 that murder victim Jordan Marples-Douglas had been involved in drug-dealing and anyone who gets involved with firearms linked to those connected to drugs will go to prison.

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He told Taylor: “I have little doubt that given your closeness to drug-dealing that it would have soon got around that you had within your home a firearm.

Pictured is Ben Jones, aged 26 at the time he was sentenced, of no fixed abode, but formerly of Archdale Road, Manor, Sheffield, who was found guilty of murdering Jordan Marples-Douglas after he was stabbed to death on March 6, 2020.Pictured is Ben Jones, aged 26 at the time he was sentenced, of no fixed abode, but formerly of Archdale Road, Manor, Sheffield, who was found guilty of murdering Jordan Marples-Douglas after he was stabbed to death on March 6, 2020.
Pictured is Ben Jones, aged 26 at the time he was sentenced, of no fixed abode, but formerly of Archdale Road, Manor, Sheffield, who was found guilty of murdering Jordan Marples-Douglas after he was stabbed to death on March 6, 2020.

“You were thus reckless as to the potential use of that firearm not necessarily by you but by others who would have put upon you to hand it over. I have no doubt there were acute risks by you keeping this weapon within your home. Sooner or later an associate of yours would have used it.”

Judge Richardson said Taylor had been aware Mr Marples-Douglas had a firearm hidden in his garden and after his death Taylor retrieved that dismantled, sawn-off shot gun and hid it behind a wardrobe at his own home.

But Judge Richardson said police who had been investigating another murder in Sheffield searched Taylor’s home and found the sawn-off shotgun.

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Taylor told police that after Mr Marples-Douglas had been murdered he had retrieved the firearm to protect his friend’s reputation and he claimed he had he not known what to do with the weapon.

Pictured is murder victim Jordan Marples-Douglas, of Woodthorpe Road, near Richmond, Sheffield, who died aged 23 after he was stabbed to death at his home.Pictured is murder victim Jordan Marples-Douglas, of Woodthorpe Road, near Richmond, Sheffield, who died aged 23 after he was stabbed to death at his home.
Pictured is murder victim Jordan Marples-Douglas, of Woodthorpe Road, near Richmond, Sheffield, who died aged 23 after he was stabbed to death at his home.

The defendant, who has previous convictions including drug offences, pleaded guilty to possessing the 12 gauge, double-barrel, sawn-off shotgun without a certificate after the raid at his home in April, 2021.

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Judge Richardson told Taylor: “You should never have retrieved that weapon. Even if you had retrieved it, you should never have kept it because, as I say, you associated with those who might be minded to use this weapon connected to drug-dealing.”

He added: “I do not ignore your previous convictions. It is the drug offences that concern me the most because of the alliance between drug offences and firearms in this day and age.”

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Judge Richardson said: “The word must go out. Anyone who is guilty of a crime concerning firearms where there is a close connection to drug-dealing must expect and will receive an appropriate custodial sentence.”

He added: “I have tried several murder cases where firearms and drugs are allied. Accordingly, where firearms are closely allied with anything connected with drugs immediate custodial sentences must follow.”

Judge Richardson acknowledged Taylor’s admissions to police, his early guilty plea, that he has no previous convictions for firearm offences and the Covid-19 restrictions in prison before sentencing him to 10 months of custody.

Ben Jones, who was aged 26 during his trial in April, 2021, of no fixed abode, but formerly of Archdale Road, Manor, Sheffield, was found guilty of murdering Jordan Marples-Douglas after he was stabbed to death on March 6, 2020. Jones was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve 21 years of custody before he can be considered for parole.