A teenage drug addict who was involved in a terrifying series of armed raids with a sub-machine gun has been locked up for 12 years.

Rashid Ashraf, 19, was said to come from a decent and supportive family, but between June 1998 and February last year he was linked to a string of robberies and attempted robberies in the Duckworth Lane area of Bradford.

Ashraf, who had no previous convictions, was also caught supplying heroin and crack cocaine to an undercover police officer and it was while his home in Kensington Street, Girlington, was being searched that officers found an Israeli-made Uzi sub-machine in a bedroom drawer.

The weapon, which was de-activated, had been a feature of many of the raids which included attacks on building society premises, a jeweller's shop and a post office.

Prosecutor Peter Benson said Ashraf was also linked to the raids by fingerprint evidence and forensic tests on clothing found at his home.

In February last year Ashraf was telephoned by an undercover police officer and at a meeting the teenager sold him a wrap of heroin and a rock of crack cocaine.

Ashraf was arrested and was found to be in possession of a further 21 rocks of crack cocaine and eight wraps of heroin.

The teenager pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit robberies as well as supplying the Class A drugs and possessing them with intent to supply.

His barrister Graham Hyland QC said it was very unusual for such a young defendant, of previous good character, to become involved in offences of such gravity from the outset.

But he stressed that the gun was deactivated and in most of the raids nothing had been taken.

Judge Rodney Grant told Ashraf that he had taken account of his age, lack of previous convictions and guilty pleas, but the total sentence he would have to serve in a young offenders' institution would be 12 years.

"These events involved the use of a firearm. It is right that the Uzi sub-machine gun found in your home was deactivated but the people who you intimidated with that weapon were not to know that."

Two other teenagers who had been on trial facing the conspiracy to rob charge were also sentenced. Earlier this week Zulfiqar Ali, 18, of Whetley Hill, Manningham, and Amjid Rashid, 19, of Upper Woodlands Road, Girlington, were found not guilty on that charge.

Ali admitted being involved in a robbery at the Computer Link premises in Leeds Road, Bradford, and was sentenced to six years in a young offenders institution.

Rashid pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods after forensic tests linked him to jewellery stolen in one of the robberies. He was given a two-year sentence, but was expected to be released almost immediately because of time served.

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