A man once involved in a drive-by shooting was caught with a gun and bullets after being freed from jail.
Steven McGarry was stopped by police driving an Audi Q5 near Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium in January this year.
The 37 year-old’s two-bedroom home in Paisley was then searched by police.
Officers went on to uncover the weapon and 15 rounds of ammunition hidden inside an Under Armour sports bag in a cupboard.
The firearm was found to be a Slovakian-made Grand Power pistol initially designed to discharge “blanks” such as flares.
But, a judge heard how, at some stage, it had been converted allowing it to fire potentially deadly 9mm bullets.
McGarry is now back behind bars after he pled guilty to a string of firearms charges at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday.
In 2021, he was locked up for 44 months for his role as getaway driver in a shooting at a house in Stepps, North Lanarkshire.
McGarry was caught for that crime after the stolen motor – also an Audi – was found parked outside a flat he had been living at.
He will be sentenced for this latest offence next month.
Prosecutor Chris McKenna yesterday told how McGarry initially claimed he lived in Glasgow’s Govan when stopped in the city’s Edmiston Drive on 17th January.
However, it emerged he instead stayed in Paisley and had keys for the property on him.
Forensic checks were carried out on the firearm after it was found.
Mr McKenna: “DNA attributable to McGarry was found on multiple parts of the handgun.
“This included the grip, trigger, a magazine release catch, the hammer, sights, release catch and the internal surface of the frame.”
The advocate depute added the gun was “in working order” in both full and semi-automatic firing modes.
Mr McKenna stated due to McGarry’s previous conviction he would have been prohibited, in any event, from having a gun or ammunition.
McGarry pleaded guilty to six charges under the Firearms Act including possessing the pistol and bullets.
His lawyer yesterday said another “substantial” jail-term will follow and that an extended sentence – involving McGarry being supervised on being freed again – may have to be looked at.
Tony Lenehan KC, defending, added: “What the court will come to learn, like many others on being released, he had high hopes.
“There was a business that he was trying to develop – that was thwarted and this lead him to this way of earning money.”
Lady Hood remanded McGarry in custody as sentencing was deferred for reports.
Headline image credit: Photo issued by Police Scotland