by Julia Roberts

A teenager caught with a loaded gun linked to three gangland shootings has been locked up for three years.

Mitchell Woods, 17, from Hackney, had collected the Browning semi-automatic from a party in Chatham just six weeks after being released on licence from a young offenders’ institution.

He had been asked by other gang members in London to pick up the weapon and then take it back to them wrapped in a scary clown bag.

But Maidstone Crown Court heard that while waiting at Chatham railway station on January 29 he “stupidly and naively” showed it off to a fellow train passenger - who promptly alerted police.

Woods was arrested and initially denied all knowledge of the handgun.

However, he later admitted he chose, “like an idiot”, to collect the weapon and pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited firearm and possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate.

Passing sentence Judge Michael Carroll said he had a public duty to impose the minimum custodial term for a juvenile of three years in a young offenders’ instituition.

He added that the offence was aggravated by its link to gang behaviour, as well as Woods’ bad record and recent release from custody.

The judge also disputed defence counsel Paul Lazarus’ assertion that Woods’ low IQ had contributed to the offence.

He told the teenager: “You were genuinely interested in this firearm and, indeed, displayed a degree of sophistication when handling it by making sure your hand was covered so you did not leave traces of DNA or your own fingerprints on it.

“I think this was bravado, maybe due to your immaturity, but nonetheless you knew what you were doing.”

Judge Carroll also commended the public-spiritedness of passenger Ricky May who, having been shown the gun by Woods and told it was loaded, called the police.

The judge ordered that he be rewarded £350 from the High Sheriff of Kent’s Funds.