A man who was found with a gun, butterfly knife and thousands of pounds of cocaine after a primary school 'raised concerns' has been put behind bars.
A 'safeguarding concern' was first raised about Bernard Oliver by a primary school in Oldham in December of last year, police said. This related to him 'possibly possessing a firearm'.
The 45-year-old was arrested later that day and while searching him, officers found a tub with 10 snap bags of cocaine inside. Police then searched his house and found a multiple weapons in a safe.
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These included a Dan Wesson silver CO2 BB Revolver, four rounds of imitation ammunition, an expanding police-style baton, a butterfly knife and a black and blue BB gun. Officers also uncovered cannabis and a debtor's list written on notepad paper.
The white powder found on Oliver and at his home later tested positive as cocaine - valued between around £5,000 and £7,500. At Bolton Crown Court yesterday (November 13), Oliver, of Balfour Street, Oldham, admitted possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, as well as possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of a prohibited weapon.
He was jailed for 54 months. A forfeiture and destruction order was also put in place.
After the sentencing, Detective Constable Masterton of GMP Oldham’s CID said: "Firstly, the bravery of the witnesses and those involved in reporting this matter has resulted in a positive and safe result and I can’t commend them enough for doing this. They undoubtedly did the right thing and shows the importance of having confidence to report any concerns you have so officers can look into it properly.
"Oliver was an individual who had no regard for the law or safety of others, being a known drug dealer and having items that could cause concern and fear. Being imitations doesn’t reduce the severity or seriousness of his actions and if allowed to continue this could have resulted in more lives being impacted in a negative way.
"He will spend time behind bars now to reflect on his actions, but Oliver, who had a loving family, will now have to come to terms with the devastating choices he has made which has resulted in his custodial sentence."
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