Crown OfficeA man who decided to help a friend in need by storing a stash of deadly homemade guns and ammunition at his home has been jailed for five years.
Salvatore Lupi was found with the firearms at his home in Maryhill, Glasgow, on October 20, 2023.
The 38-year-old stored the “bore zip type” guns and ammunition in a cupboard and TV unit.
Lupi told police that he was holding the weapons for a friend who had been thrown out of his mother’s house.
Crown OfficeLater, while being interviewed by police, he learned his friend, Graham Henderson, used a firearm to take his own life.
Lupi pleaded guilty to breaching strict firearms legislation at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow in July.
Sentence had been deferred for the court to obtain a report about his background.
Defence advocate Allan Macleod told the High Court in Edinburgh how Mr Henderson had been struggling with drink and drug issues at the time Lupi took possession of the weapons.
On Tuesday, Mr Macleod said: “Mr Henderson was in a downward spiral. He was living in hostels.
“Mr Lupi took the view that it would be better for everyone if he took possession of the weapons.
“He recognises now that he held onto them for too long and that he should have contacted the police.
“He now recognises that he will have to live with the consequences of his actions.”
Lupi admitted having nine home-made bore zip guns “without the authority of Scottish ministers” at his flat in Benview Street.
Lupi, who appeared from custody, also admitted two charges of having ammunition without a firearms certificate.
The court heard detectives raided his home following a tip-off and unearthed the stash in a cupboard and inside the drawer of a TV unit in his living room.
Officers had been informed Lupi was storing the items for a man “known to be involved in serious and organised crime” but no direct links between Lupi and the man were found.
Police stopped Lupi in the street where he admitted under caution he was in possession of firearms and ammunition before the search of his home was carried out.
Prosecutor Kath Harper told judge Lord Colbeck: “Suspected firearms were seen in the cupboard in the hallway and in the middle drawer of a TV unit in the living room.”
Eight metal poles were kept in polythene bags in the cupboard along with rounds of ammunition.
The poles were described as “home made devices” of two pieces of metal tubing screwed together.
Other pieces of metal had also been screwed and threaded together to make a firing pin.
Ms Harper said: “When the two pieces of metal tubing were screwed together, the resultant devices were smooth-bore zip type guns designed to discharge a 12-bore shotgun cartridge.”
The eight poles were tested and all successfully fired a 12-bore primed shotgun cartridge.
This gun was capable of firing .303 British bulleted cartridges.
Ms Harper stated that the rounds of .22 ammunition for long rifles found in the property could be chambered in the recovered devices.
Lupi claimed he had agreed to look after the haul for Henderson who was in the grip of drugs and alcohol addictions.
On that occasion, Mr Macleod, told the court: “[Mr Henderson] asked to stay with Mr Lupi and he took the view that the items he knew were firearms were safer kept in his house rather than hostels around Glasgow.
“He told the police while in custody that the firearms had come from his friend.”
Mr Macleod stated that Lupi’s fingerprints or DNA were not on the weapons recovered from his home.
On Tuesday, Lord Colbeck told Lupi, who observed proceedings via video link, that firearms legislation required him to impose a minimum term of five years. He said the law provided for a lesser sentence for “exceptional circumstances”.
He said: “I have taken account of the contents of the criminal justice social work report and all that has been said on your behalf.
“I am not convinced there are exceptional circumstances that allow me not to impose such a sentence.
“The sentence of the court will be one of five years.”
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