A couple who hid a sawn-off shotgun, which had been fired by other criminals, have been jailed for more than 13 years.

Police found the lethal weapon in a bag hidden in a bedroom at the home of Anthony Scull and Nicola Shoesmith, along with a balaclava and two 12-bore cartridges, Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday.

Prosecutor John Bull said police also recovered a pair of gloves with gunshot residue from a settee at the house in Chislehurst Place, Little Horton, Bradford, along with a spent cartridge which matched the rounds.

Mr Bull said Scull’s fingerprints were found on the gun bag and his DNA was on the balaclava.

The prosecutor said 25-year-old Scull said he had no involvement in using the firearm. Shoesmith, 34, a mother-of-four, said she had only been aware of the firearm for a short time but panicked and moved it to where it was found.

Police executed a search warrant at the house, on April 15 last year, after the arrest of Shoesmith’s brother. She told officers: “It’s not mine, I am just holding it for someone.”

Shoesmith pointed out a coat which contained heroin and cocaine worth £470. More drugs worth £100 were found on a cabinet. She said the bag containing the gun had been left at the house the night before by a man called Billy and the drugs belonged to him.

Both defendants were bailed but another warrant was executed in October last year and 25 wraps of heroin and cocaine were found.

James Bourne-Arton, for Scull, said he had no involvement with the gun other than looking after it.

He was working at the bottom end of the drug market to fund his £50-a-day cocaine habit.

Shoesmith’s barrister, Richard Wright, said she was subservient to Scull. She made admissions to police and repeated them in court.

The judge, Recorder Dean Kershaw, said the prosecution accepted the gun had been used the night before by someone else, but the shotgun was a nasty offensive weapon and they were very serious offences.

Both defendants admitted possessing a firearm and possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply.

Shoesmith admitted two further charges of possessing the drugs with intent, as well as possessing cocaine.

Scull was jailed for six years for possessing the firearm and two-and-a-half years consecutively for the drugs offences.

Recorder Kershaw accepted Shoesmith had helped police, been under pressure from others, her children had been taken away from her and she was assessed as a low risk of re-offending.

Both will serve half their sentences before being released on licence.

After the case Detective Inspector Ian Bryar said: “These sentences reflect just how seriously we view firearms and drugs-related offences here in Bradford.

“This particular case follows a 17-month, painstaking investigation by CID detectives and the Firearms Investigation Team, established specifically to tackle firearm-related crime in Bradford.”