A MAN found with drugs and a machine gun in his home has been jailed for five years.

Gavin Charters, 27, was arrested after armed officers on a police operation tackling drug-related crime searched his flat in Torve Court in Newcastle Hill, Ramsgate, in December.

The MP5 semi automatic machine gun was found in a sports bag, and 583g of herbal cannabis worth £3,600, a quantity of cocaine wraps and LSD tablets were found elsewhere on the premises.

The court heard the gun had been deactivated and that Charters, who has previous convictions for drugs and dishonesty, had never been in possession of its firing pin and believed it was unoperational.

Charters claimed he used about half an ounce of cannabis a day, but conceded the amount recovered was a “large-ish” amount for personal use and it was possible some might have been given to others.

Charters pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday to the offence of possessing the firearm and received a five-year sentence.

He also received a six month sentence after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply.

Jailing Charters, Judge Nigel van der Bijl said had he been sure there was any connection between the drugs and firearm, the sentence would have been in double figures.

PC Mark Thornby, who worked on the case, said: “This is a very good sentence and reflects the seriousness of this crime.

“The indication we had been given was that this case was heading to trial and we were all ready for that, so we were very pleased when we got the guilty pleas and could wrap this up.

“Thankfully, gun crime is rare in Thanet. Anyone contemplating it should take note of this sentence.”

A 17-year-old girl from Newcastle Hill in Ramsgate was also arrested during the same police operation, and she pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday to possession with intent to supply cannabis, for which she received a 12-month conditional discharge.

She also pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and was given four months in a young offenders' institute, but this was later rescinded by the judge.