Young Corby ‘armourer’ Jack Sikora who set up gun 'production line' in his flat jailed for more than 12 years – narrowly avoiding life sentence

A ‘significant’ drug dealer from Corby who bought starting pistols to convert them to deadly weapons has been jailed for twelve years and five months.

Jack James Sikora, 22, ordered a pistol online just five days after he’d been given a second chance by His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo when he fired shots at drinkers in the garden of The Phoenix.

Yesterday he was back before Northampton Crown Court, and the same judge, to be sentenced for converting six pistols as well as altering ammunition that could have killed someone. He sold two of the pistols to Corby boys, three were found in his flat, and another has never been traced.

Sikora was arrested by police who had intelligence to suggest he was dealing Class-As on August 6 last year. They stopped a taxi he was travelling in at Corby Urgent Care Centre, forcing the Cottingham Road medical centre into lockdown.

Officers found cocaine ready for sale on him, so they searched his Thoresby Road flat.

There, they discovered a workstation that was operating as a gun production line.

Prosecuting, Andy Peet, said that just days after he was given a fourteen month suspended sentence on April 1 last year, Sikora was once again buying starting pistols online, and in one case visiting the Pellpax factory in Norwich to pick up a blank weapon.

Mr Peet said: “Five days after that court appearance he bought the first starting pistol and converted it.

"On April 6 he ordered a number of starting pistols, more than six, but only six were completed or delivered.

"At that time he was a significant, highly-profitable drug dealer. On August 6 he was in a taxi that was stopped by police and arrested. He had £700 in cash on him and two bags of cocaine.

"A search of his flat took place and in a loft space above a water tank were two separate packages of cocaine.”

The court was told that in total nearly 29g of cocaine was recovered with a street value up to £3,500. Messages consistent with dealing were found on his phone.

Mr Peet added: “The police were faced with a workstation that had been equipped with everything that anyone converting firearms would need.

"The defendant used to sit at the desk having received orders and set to work converting them as well as ammunition – bullets – that were found at the same time.

"It was a production line for the sale of pistols to anyone who wanted them.

“He’s the lead armourer. A key facilitator.

"There was no evidence he was acting as part of a group.”

On his phone were messages sent to a customer, who has not been charged with any offence, that read: “It’s going to be a piece of p*** to convert.”

Wearing a black puffa jacket, and with no family or friends to support him in court, Sikora remained emotionless as barristers discussed his prospective sentence. He admitted all the charges against him which included; possession of cocaine with intent to supply it; possession of a modified Ekol Alp pistol with intent to sell it; the sale of that gun to Keane Jordan; attempted possession of a modified Retay PT23 blank firing pistol and the sale of it; and possession of bullet cartridges without a firearms certificate.

Mitigating, Jasvir Mann, said that his client had ‘candidly’ admitted all the charges and had been a drug addict who had detoxed when he went into custody. He said he’d had a difficult childhood and had gained an ‘unhealthy fascination’ with guns.

He said he now had enhanced status in prison. The judge was handed supportive letters from family in Ireland.

Judge Mayo said that he had ‘seriously considered’ giving Sikora a life sentence but had been persuaded by case law that Sikora’s crimes did not quite meet the threshold. He said Sikora’s crimes were ‘deliberate, calculated and sophisticated’ and that probation officers said Sikora was ‘entrenched in criminal activity.’

He added: “There’s a high risk of serious harm likely to be caused by your activity.

"There’s been an escalation in your offending and total blindness by you toward the legislation designed to keep people safe.”

He activated Sikora’s 14 month suspended sentence from last year and added a further eleven years and three months on top, to run consecutively, resulting in a total sentence of 12 years and five months.

Sikora will serve two-thirds before he is eligible for release. He has already served nearly a year on remand. He may not be released until just before his thirtieth birthday.

The court was told that it’s becoming increasingly more common across the East Midlands for gangs to purchase legal weapons and convert them to potentially deadly firearms.

Sikora sold his guns to pals Keane Jordan and Leon Reid. The pair were sentenced to five years and seven months, and five years, respectively, at a hearing just before Christmas.

Judge Mayo ordered that Sikora be subject to Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings later this year.

- Co-defendant Keane Jordan, of Rochester Road, Corby, was also at court yesterday as the subject of a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing. Judge Mayo ruled that Jordan, 21, benefited from his drug dealing to the tune of £51,731. However, he only has available assets of £3,998.50 available so the court ruled that they must be confiscated in their entirety.