Dad kept terrifying arsenal of guns for the criminal underworld

Christopher Winder stored four deadly firearms (Image: Greater Manchester Police)A father boasted about the terrifying haul of weapons he kept on behalf of the criminal underworld – including an alarming military grade submachine gun.Christopher Winder, 43, kept four deadly firearms, also including a Glock pistol and a revolver in a secret location for a drugs boss. That boss, named in court as EncroChat user “Wanted Soldier”, oversaw a huge cocaine conspiracy worth at least £1.3 million.His alleged “right hand man” Reece Bradbury, 28, acted as a gofer for Wanted Soldier, delivering drugs and cash.Bradbury was linked to at least 15 kilos of cocaine, and also dealt four kilos of cannabis on his own. Winder and Bradbury, both from Salford, Greater Manchester, have now both been locked up following the law enforcement hack of the EncroChat network, a highly secretive communication network used by organised crime groups.The hacking provided police with enough evidence to see Winder locked up for 11 years and three months and Bradbury nine-and-a-half years. The weapons spoken about by Winder and Wanted Soldier on the EncroChat network, which police discovered pictures of, remain on the streets.A court heard that Bradbury was a “distributor” of cocaine, working with Wanted Soldier, reports Manchester Evening News. Reece Bradbury used the EncroChat handle ‘Big Bradderz’ (Image: Greater Manchester Police)As the first coronavirus lockdown was imposed in April 2020, Bradbury discussed posing as a Domino’s pizza delivery driver to avoid attention when the roads were quiet.The gang used vehicles with a hidden compartment, which they referred to as a “slot car”, to keep illicit items away from prying eyes.”Left you a dominoes hat in slot car for someone to blend,” Bradbury told EncroChat user Wanted Soldier, using the EncroChat handle “Big Bradderz”. Prosecuting, Jamie Baxter said the scale of the gang’s drug dealing operation was revealed by a debtors list sent by Wanted Soldier to a courier the outfit used. The list sent to the courier totalled £1.3 million and, in an EncroChat message, Wanted Solider said he had sent it to him “in case I get nicked, so dream can continue”.Detectives were also able to uncover conversations Winder had with Wanted Soldier about firearms. Winder said the four firearms and ammunition were stored at an unknown house belonging to a “third party”.Mr Baxter said the gang considered it to be “a very safe storage location indeed”. “Not been down much, but they good in there for another seven years,” Winder said of the hiding place.At one stage Winder asked Wanted Soldier if he could move the firearms out of the house they were being stored in. “CBA that hanging over me, pure jail in there,” he said.He added: “Tbh I got bit para bro, there’s a right arsenal there haha.” In a further message, Winder said: “Next time owt like this happens mate need to proper let loose with the MP5, cut f****** in half.”Only thing they pay attention to these days.” Police raided both of their homes earlier this year.Sentencing Judge Nicholas Dean KC told Winder: “Only thing they pay attention to these days.” Police raided both of their homes earlier this year.”These offences involve you having stored weapons and ammunition, pistols and an automatic weapon, guns that you knew full well could only be useful to those involves in serious crime.”The pair will both serve half of their sentences in prison. Defending Bradbury, Oliver Cook denied the defendant was Wanted Soldier’s “right hand man”, and said there “no real distinction in terms of hierarchy” of those lower than him in the chain.He also claimed Bradbury’s involvement in the cocaine conspiracy was to the tune of 10 kilos, rather than 15 kilos. Mr Cook said Bradbury, whose first child was born while he has been on remand in jail, had a “difficult” upbringing.Before the Covid lockdown he’d begun training as an electrician in the film industry, Mr Cook said. Simon Gurney, defending, said Winder was a “middle man” for the guns and only had a “limited” role in the cocaine conspiracy.”In truth he was a customer of the conspiracy,” the lawyer said. “This was a man living on benefits, he wasn’t making a substantial financial benefit.”Mr Gurney said dad-of-two Winder had gone straight following a spell in prison for conspiracy to rob, but fell back into crime after his relationship broke down and he began ‘associating with the wrong people’. Bradbury pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and possession of cannabis.Winder pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to transfer ammunition.