Man acquitted of Kevin Nunes murder jailed for gun and drug offences

Michael Osbourne, 38, of Barnett Close, Wolverhampton, has been sentenced to eight years behind bars after pleading guilty to conspiring to transfer or sell ammunition. He was also found guilty of drug offences.

Osbourne was one of five originally jailed for the murder of Kevin Nunes in Pattingham before Staffordshire Police's failings were uncovered and the men's convictions were quashed.

He was arrested in March last year after more than 50 rounds of ammunition were recovered by officers who swooped on the car park of a Wolverhampton pub after the movements of three men, including Osbourne, had been tracked by officers.

Officers intercepted the exchange at the Bradmore Arms on Trysull Road, as the trio attempted to escape, discarding the bag.

One attempted to drive out of the car park through a disused exit but didn’t anticipate the concrete bollard blocking his exit and another was found in nearby bushes.

Four kilos of cocaine was also recovered, with a street value of £140,000.

Rundeep Bagga, 33, of Fillongley Road, Meriden, pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial and David Dixon, 38, of Biart Place, Rugby, had already pleaded guilty to conspiring to transfer or sell ammunition.

They were sentenced to three years and two and a half years in prison respectively at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday.

Osbourne's co-defendants for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, Vitaljus Zasinas, aged 41 of no fixed address, and Timothy Joyce, aged 32 of Ash Road, Wednesbury, were sentenced to six years and seven and a half years at the same hearing.

Detective Constable Steve Oldbury, of the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: “Our operation led to a large quantity of drugs and ammunition never making it onto the streets of the West Midlands where they could have done some real damage.

“This is the latest success in our efforts to combat organised crime and to take deadly weapons off the region’s streets.”