A man who slashed a gang rival in the face at a Bradford leisure centre was later involved in the shooting of a "military-grade" self-loading handgun in a crowded street while awaiting sentence for the first offence.

A judge heard today how the Yugoslavian-made Parabellum Zavodi Crvena Zastava weapon was used in July last year when several shots were fired in front of crowds enjoying the Huddersfield Carnival.

Two days later undercover police officers found the prohibited weapon together with four rounds of ammunition hidden down a dirt track in Huddersfield after they had been keeping observations on 26-year-old Jenson Williams.

TOP STORIES:

At the time Williams, of Scott Vale, Deighton, Huddersfield, was on bail awaiting sentence over a knife attack on a rival gang member at the Frame 2 leisure complex in Bradford back in April 2017.

Prosecutor Camille Morland said noone had been injured during the incident at the carnival, but police later found six 9mm cartridge cases at the scene.

When the handgun, which had been left in a plastic bag with two stones on top of it, was recovered it was found to be in full working order.

She told Judge Colin Burn that the weapon was clearly being left for someone else to come and collect relatively soon after it was left.

Officers found Williams’ business card “Barber J” with the gun and his fingerprints were also found on the plastic bag and the base of the pistol’s magazine.

Williams pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to possessing the prohibited weapon and ammunition on the basis that he had been “holding it for others” and was moving it on.

Miss Morland said inquiries by the police had linked the the handgun to an incident in Birkby, Huddersfield, in June 2004 as well as well as a “shots fired” incident in Leeds in 2008 and two others in Huddersfield in 2017.

“It has been in circulation and active use for 14 years,” she said.

Back in April 2017 Williams was part of gang who went into the leisure complex in Feather Road, Bradford and attacked 18-year-old Jacey Collier as he sat in the foyer using his mobile phone.

The shocking attack was captured in CCTV from the premises and Williams accepted he had stabbed his victim in the abdomen while a second unknown male had slashed the teenager across the face and arm.

Mr Collier was treated in hospital for his injuries, but he later discharged himself and the court heard that he was expected to make a full recovery.

Williams admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and a second man, 25-year-old Theo Hall, of High Lane, Newsome, Huddersfield, was found guilty after a trial of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent.

Williams was today jailed for six years on the gun and ammunition charges with an additional six years imposed for the stabbing in Bradford.

Father-of-one Hall was jailed by Judge Burn for nine years for his part in the stabbing although it was accepted he had not been carrying a weapon or injured the teenager.

The judge said the evidence suggested that Hall had played a part in instigating the attack on the teenager.

Jailing Williams for the firearms offence Judge Burn said the weapon had been in circulation for some time.

“It was not some kind of reconditioned, metalworker’s bench weapon. It was a properly made for purpose military-grade automatic pistol - so a highly dangerous weapon.”

He said the gun was being deliberately hidden and kept away from the authorities.

Williams’ barrister Matthew Harding referred to his gang culture background, but said his client had been taking courses while in custody and he was still young enough and capable of taking a different path.

Barrister Timothy Jacobs, for Hall, said he was keen to put his background behind him and to make something of his life.

“He wants to better himself (for his son) and not involve himself in this type of offending in the future,” said Mr Jacobs.