Gavin Donald, 26, was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years at Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.
The court heard Donald, now of Copperfield Place, Leeds, moved away from Manchester after losing an eye in a shooting in an effort to get away from the gang lifestyle.
But, after falling back into his old ways, he brokered deals between villains looking to buy and sell guns in two separate conspiracies.
Former Manchester United youth starlet Aaron Rouse, 25, of Stretford, also acted as an underworld go-between and has been jailed for eight years.
Minshull Street Court heard Rouse, who admitted two counts of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition, was on the cusp of a professional football career before getting sucked into south Manchester's notorious Doddington gang.
Last April, Donald and Rouse put Jonathan Martins and Sahr Sundu, both 24, from London, in touch with Marlon Small, 25, of Leeds as a potential buyer of a re-bored Arminius revolver.
Martins and Sundu were arrested by armed officers on their way to Small's house in Leeds and their co-conspirators were linked by mobile phone evidence.
In the second case, two months after the first, police were tipped off that Donald and Rouse were helping Marlon Small buy a gun a second time.
Donald was in a convoy of men that drove to Manchester from Huddersfield to collect two 9mm Reck Miami pistols, with matching silencers, laser-sights and loaded magazines.
Surveillance
The cars were later stopped on the A56 by armed police after being caught out by a surveillance operation involving officers from West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester
Sentencing, His Honour Judge Geake said: "Gun crime in the city of Manchester and other cities in this country is just so prevalent the message has to keep going out from the courts that it will be severely punished.
"Clearly people like you have good qualities about you. The fact remains that you only have yourselves to blame for your present predicament."
Addressing Donald, His Honour Judge Geake added: "Maybe you were trying to turn your life around. The fact remains that you were once again sucked back into the criminal underworld and showed yourself intent on acquiring guns for whatever reason. These weapons can only have been intended for lethal gangster activity."
As he sent Rouse down, His Honour Judge Geake told him: "You have a distinct liking for weapons according to your record, but your record is not of such gravity, and information is that you had significant ties with one of the well-known Manchester gangs."
Speaking after the hearing, DS Dave Caulfield said: "The sentencing of Rouse and Donald is hugely significant for us, both are high up in the gang structure.
"Hopefully this will send a message to people that if they get involved with gun crime the judiciary won't tolerate it and neither will the police or the public, who have provided us with significant information about these men."
Sahr Sundu, who drove to Manchester with the Arminius revolver, was sentenced to five years alongside Donald and Rouse after admitting possession of a firearm.
Six other men were sentenced on Wednesday.
Sundu's partner in crime, Jonathan Martins admitted two counts of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and dangerous driving, and was sentenced to five years in prison.
The men's prospective buyer, Marlon Small, 25, admitted two counts of possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and driving while disqualified. He was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in prison.
Conspiracy
Rainny Pemagbi, 18, of London, whose DNA was found on the revolver, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess a firearm following an earlier trial. He was sentenced to three years in a young offenders' institute on Wednesday 9 June 2009.
Levon Halliday,25, of Leeds and Gavin Dennis, 27, of Huddersfield, admitted possession of a firearm and were both sentenced to four years in prison.
Shoukat Ali of Leeds, got five years after being found guilty of conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition following an earlier trial, alongside Remy Parker, 18, of Melbourne Avenue, Stretford, who is expected to be sentenced later this month.
Gavin Donald's father, Ian McLeod is serving a life sentence handed out after he was found guilty of conspiracy to murder following a bungled assassination attempt at Salford pub, the Brass Handles.
He had been enlisted by Salford gangster Bobby Spiers to recruit two hitmen to kill David Totton, but the assassins bungled the job and ended up being killed themselves. Tweet
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They are all getting locked up one by one Ha, Ha, Ha a Bunch of Hediots...The streets are getting better without them, enjoy your soup guys...
Excellent news, another piece of evil scum removed, you will b able to play chess with daddy now if you go to the same high security prison ha ha
Like father like son. They can now spend "quality" time together.
I am sure that there will be another piece of trash to carry on with things where they left off. These scum are like a weed thats grows anywhere. Unless you destroy the root it will carrying on growing over and over again.
The political parties that have been in power and most of the population have shown that they are not really interested in this type of thing, they voice their concerns more on trying to stop the BNP or racism which to them is more important.
Obviously they have to arrest a few now and again but if they were serious, they would have been wipped off the streets years ago.
"Former Manchester United youth starlet Aaron Rouse, 25, of Stretford, also acted as an underworld go-between and has been jailed for eight years."
"Minshull Street Court heard Rouse, who admitted two counts of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition, was on the cusp of a professional football career before getting sucked into south Manchester's notorious Doddington gang."
What an Absolute waste of a golden opportunity.I mean come on who throws away the chance to play for Man Utd to join a stupid street gang and risk their lives for street cred ,he will be forgotten by the younger footsoldiers in years even months to come!
DARWIN AWARD !
As an American living in the UK, I guess I'd have to admit that I don't quite understand... Nine years for merely POSSESSING a firearm? One revolver?
I know that firearms laws are very strict here (and I can't say that I'm against that), but this article created major culture shock for me - I was absolutely astounded...
What "Good qualities" can these people have. If they are from another country, the whole family should be sent back. This should also be the fate of ANY family of migrants for any illegal activity, even what may seem petty, no driving licence or insurance etc. Lets get this fine country of ours back to a civil society, not full of the present scum.
We have been too soft for too long.
The main gun runners that activate deactivated guns(to enable them to sell them legally) are the real criminals that need locking up,but as usual because they are backed by big companies they are not prosecuted or fined etc etc. where do you think these guns come from, its not as simple as blaming the kids that are forced to carry them for protection, don't get me wrong they don't have to join gangs, but facts are facts go after the countries with corrupt military officers & governments especially in eastern europe where the chain strengthens..
It being proven more and more that gangsters as they are liked to be known tend to produce children who then get into gang war fare both female and male off spring so I feel it is about time everyone had their DNA taken at birth because I and millions of others would not oppose it, only those who have some thing to hide would, bring it on asap, this way even more scum can be caught and dealt with. I love it when a so called gangster (really a guy who is that scared of his own shadow he has to carry guns) gets a minimum of 8 years, its fantastic when I am out in the park drinking an ice cold coca cola and they are sweating their heads off in a warm sweaty over crowded HMP like Strangeways or Full Sutton.Enjoy your time and that awful prison food, I understand it has got worse recently.
Trueblue of manchester
A reply to your comment. Put then up against Rapists and Kiddie Fiddlers, as i am sure that Jamaica does not ccondone that.
BUT Ooooops HEY ITS ONLY ENGLAND!!!!!!!
Renee Manchester
Jon Musselman ""As an American living in the UK, I guess I'd have to admit that I don't quite understand... Nine years for merely POSSESSING a firearm? One revolver?""
Let us not forget that this is the criminal possession of a gun. If he had a shotgun or rifle and had a licence to hold one there would be no offence! Let us also not forget this man was involved in the supply and buying and selling of such weapons.
These lads were not going out into the wilderness to shoot caribou or tin cans !The repeated mention of "gangs" in the article may give you a clue as to the purpose the guns were for !
Nine years is a quite reasonable sentence - weakened by the fact that as we don't have enough prison spaces he will no doubt be out after 5 or 6.
StanF leigh
Ask for your comment.
If you sent back every migrant, Illegal Imigrant and Minority, England would calapse, as it is all of the above that keeps England running.
That is why YOU'RE Goverment allows these hard working all of the above into the country to support LAZY INDIVIDUALS LIKE YOURSELF, who profess that this is your COUNTRY!!!!........
Renee Manchester
there are so many comments about sending back, sending back where, those that was convicted last week are all British citizens, there parents were born here. You need to understand all races have crime for armed weapons, so do not make it that it is just a black thing. Some harsh sentences were given out, seems as though they would of got less of a sentence if they murdered or sexually abused an inocent child.
cassy leeds
Gangs with guns don't need deporting, they need real punishments!
STOP trying to rehabilitate heavily armed gang members, pass laws making mandatory periods of imprisonment, then make that prison time real. No training courses, no schooling, no contact visits, no TV, no radio, no cigarettes, caffine or sugar. Let people know that from whatever date the new laws are enacted you're getting tough. Then get tough!
These kids aren't stupid [believe it or not!] if a gangbanger knows that possession of a knife will get him or her 12 months in the scrubs but possession of a firearm will guarantee them 10 years on top of any other sentecte in a maximum security prison a bit like the Yankee Supermax prisons for a first offence, then 20 years, 30 years and so on, even the dumbest drug dealer will think twice once they see that their mates are being jailed. You can't just make idle threats to punish, you have to do it, and be seen to do it. Don't listen to the do gooders who want to fix things with one more hug, it is time to tell them they've had their chance and their way hasn't worked, now lets build a supermax somewhere there's really bad unemployment and then staff it with public servants, not private companies. Sure it'll cost a bit, but how much is all of this gun crime costing at the moment?
It's time to show the gang elements no matter who they are or where they're from Great Britian isn't going to go soft on them, so why not head over to Europe where the prisons are nice places and you'll get soft sentences too...