Student held hand gun and bullets in her bedroom.

A FEMALE student has been jailed for five years for hiding a gun and bullets in her bedroom.

Sarah Jones, of Windsor Wharf, Hackney Wick, was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court today (Thursday December 23) of possession of a firearm, possession of prohibited ammunition and possessing ammunition of a firearm, following a four-day trial

Acting on fast-time intelligence, officers from Operation Bantam, Hackney Police’s proactive firearm unit, executed a search warrant for her home in February 2010.

Whilst conducting the search, officers found a revolver inside a suitcase on top of a wardrobe in the suspect’s bedroom.

A quantity of ammunition was also found inside a black sock in the suitcase. Jones was subsequently arrested at the Chicken Shed Theatre in Southgate, where she was a student.

DC Gary Williams of Hackney Borough’s proactive firearms unit, Operation Bantam, said: “This conviction sends out a clear message about the grave consequences of storing guns for others.

“Those who do this are not only committing a crime, but they are helping others commit theirs.

“Sarah Jones had never been in trouble with the police before, but by agreeing to hide a lethal firearm for somebody else, she was partly responsible for any crimes committed with that weapon.

“She now has to spend Christmas, and the next few years in prison - a tragedy for both her and her family.”

DCI Gary Bruce of Hackney Police, said: “Gun crime in Hackney has fallen by nearly 35% this year, and this is largely due to the volume of firearms my officers are recovering from the borough’s streets and homes.

“No matter who you are, if you are caught with a firearm you will face a prison sentence. Claiming ‘it’s not your gun’ is no defence.”