Alex Matthews successfully prosecutes gunman accused of third set of firearms offences; the defendant received a sentence of life imprisonment at Inner London Crown Court for charges of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and possession of a firearm with intent to transfer it to another, amongst other offences.
Mr McCalman had twice before been convicted of serious firearms offences. In 2012 he was convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. He discarded a loaded semi-automatic pistol in some Woods, but was linked by DNA to the weapon.
While serving a custodial sentence for that matter he was later convicted of conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons; firearms. He was involved in this conspiracy from within his prison cell, while serving on previous matters.
In February 2025 amidst his possessions a revolver was discovered by police. McCalman refused to provide police access to his phones. Police were able to “crack” the phones and access his messages; it became apparent he was selling that firearm onward into the criminal underworld. McCalman also faced prosecution for threats to kill his partner and her mother, during the course of which he threatened to deploy a gun should they call the police on him.
The case involved extensive bad character material, hearsay and res gestae. A phone schedule showed the path of Mr McCalman’s increasingly frantic attempts to sell the firearm in his possession. Expert evidence on the trafficking of firearms was also called so as to assist the jury in understanding the ‘marketplace’ within which Mr McCalman was operating.
Alex Matthews was instructed by Ricky Yau of CPS and officers from Trident - Specialist Crime South.
