A Jamaican caught ferrying a pistol to Swindon from the Midlands has been jailed for seven years and three months.

Nicardo Stewart had the converted handgun with two cartridges hidden under a seat in the hire car he was driving when police stopped it in north Swindon.

The 33-year-old claimed he only had the weapon because he had taken it from a teenager in West Bromwich and a wanted a soldier friend to decommission it.

But after hearing the father-of-six give evidence at a trial of issue a judge rejected his version of events telling him he had 'lied from first to last'.

PC Derek Buswell told Swindon Crown Court how officers were on the look out for the 17-plate grey Mini One as it was thought it was being used by drug dealers.

At 4.25pm on Wednesday April 12 he was in a marked car at the top of Thamesdown Drive when he saw it pass in front on Cricklade Road heading towards Penhill.

After crossing the central reservation to get behind it, he and another patrol car boxed it in at the lights of the junction with the Groundwell Industrial Estate.

He said the driver, who was alone in the car, put the central locking on and, fearing he may try and drive off, the officer smashed the windows to grab hold of him.

Following a short struggle Stewart was detained and though he had no drugs, the gun and ammo was later found wrapped in a blue cloth, hidden in a bag under a seat.

David Maunder, prosecuting, said it was an originally a blank firing Italian BB Minigun which would have had a blocked off barrel.

But he said that had been cut off replaced by a metal tube 9cm in length making the whole weapon 19.4cm long and capable of firing a round with lethal force.

He said it would also have been coated in bright orange paint, to denote it was a blank firing firearm, but had been covered black to make it look more realistic.

Giving evidence Stewart said that he had been in Swindon when he received a call from a lady friend in the Midlands as she had seen her 15-year-old son with a gun.

Because he was a 'mentor' to young people the defendant said he spoke to the lad and persuaded him to hand over the weapon.

Not knowing what to do with it he said he decided to bring it to Swindon to hand to a mate who was in the army and may know how to decommission it.

But Stewart of Winson Green, Birmingham, refused to name any of the people involved saying he took full responsibility for having it.

Will Rose, defending, said there was no evidence that his client, who had never been in trouble with the police before, was involved in the drugs trade..

Ruling against Stewart, Judge Tim Mousley QC said "Your explanation is inherently implausible. I am satisfied that you lied from first to last.

"I sentence you for this single offence of possessing a prohibited firearm on the basis that you were prepared to deliver a firearm to this area of the country for use in connection with crime.

"And that was a firearm that was also connected with two cartridges. The barrel had been replaced, it had been altered.

"It had not been discharged since it was in your hands so it had not caused any injury but obviously it had the potential for injury as I have already described."