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Pictured: Chilling sub-machine gun made using 3D printer believed to be first of its kind in the UK

Police seized a sub-machine gun manufactured using a 3D printer, believed to be the first of its kind found in the UK.

The fully functional gun carried the words ‘live free or die’ and featured an image of an arm holding a sword with blood dripping from it, Sheffield Crown Court was told.

The firearm was handed to the jury to inspect. Prosecutor Stephen Wood KC told them: ‘Please don’t pull the trigger or move any of the parts.’

A police officer had inspected the FGC-9 Luger carbine and it was safe to examine, they were assured.

Christopher Gill, 35, Sibusiso Moyo, 41, and Majeeb Rehman, 46, are on trial after police found the loaded gun in a stationary BMW car near the outskirts of Bradford, West Yorkshire, in May last year.

Police seized a sub-machine gun manufactured using a 3D printer, believed to be the first of its kind found in the UK

Police seized a sub-machine gun manufactured using a 3D printer, believed to be the first of its kind found in the UK

Another partially assembled gun, also created on a 3D printer, was found in Gill’s attic at his home in the city, the court heard.

Mr Wood told the jury that a trained police officer who later inspected the 3D-printed Luger carbine said he’d never seen such a weapon before.

He said Rehman was ‘caught red-handed’ transporting the weapon.

Andre Horne, firearms and ballistics expert, told the court that most of the FGC-9, 9mm Luger carbine recovered from Rehman’s car had been produced on a 3D printer.

He said other parts had been homemade, while the court also heard it was successfully test-fired using a 9mm cartridge.

Moyo’s DNA matched swabs taken from seized items, and Mr Wood said that he was ‘intimately involved in the manufacturing process’. The main part of the gun found at the house was also 3D printed, the court heard.

Christopher Gill, 35, Sibusiso Moyo, 41, and Majeeb Rehman, 46, are on trial after police found the loaded gun in a stationary BMW car near the outskirts of Bradford, West Yorkshire, in May last year

Christopher Gill, 35, Sibusiso Moyo, 41, and Majeeb Rehman, 46, are on trial after police found the loaded gun in a stationary BMW car near the outskirts of Bradford, West Yorkshire, in May last year

Moyo, of Hull, and Gill, of Bradford, denied conspiracy to manufacture prohibited firearms and having a prohibited weapon for sale or transfer. The pair along with Rehman of Bradford all deny conspiracy to transfer a prohibited firearm and possessing ammunition with a firearms certificate.

Moyo denies possessing an identity document with improper intention.

‘This is a case all about manufacture and transfer of prohibited weapons. By prohibited weapons I mean sub-machine guns,’ Mr Wood said.

‘The Crown say that defendants Moyo and Gill were involved in the manufacture of these weapons and that on one occasion, the defendant Rehman was caught red-handed transporting such a weapon, loaded with functioning bulleted cartridges, which he had been given by Gill.’

The case continues.

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Martina Birk

Update: 2024-05-28