A YOUNG mother-to-be has been sent to jail for five years after claiming she had no knowledge of a firearm and ammunition she had been asked to hold.

Mia Peers, 20, of Little Hulton, who is currently pregnant and has a four-year-old daughter wept in the dock as Judge Timothy Smith handed down the sentence as no 'exceptional circumstances' were found to spare her from a young offenders institution term.

Jane Dagnall, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court in late November 2020 she was asked to store a bag in a cupboard under the stairs but to "not ask any questions about it" by the man she had been in an on-off relationship with, and to not tell anyone where it was.

Peers is said to have held suspicions about this, but did not look to see what was in the bag.

Ms Dagnall said: "It didn't cross her mind that it could be a weapon."

But on the night of November 28, while at a neighbour's house with two other women and children, a group of men wearing masks came into the home with knives ­— one of which was placed against Peers throat ­— demanding to know where the firearm was.

Police later interviewed her over the incident, where she failed to tell them about the package. It was only after the interview when she looked at what was in the bag ­— a modified pistol and five bullets ­— that the police were made aware of it and they found the gun and ammunition.

The serial number on the gun had been removed and Peers' DNA and fingerprints were found on it.

Jacob Dyer, defending, told the court the she "clearly had suspicions" but didn't have "any idea that it was a gun".

He said she was "clearly in shock" after the raid by the group of men and she told others, including her mother, about the weapon afterwards, who then told the police.

Peers had changed address several times since the incident, living with friends, for her own safety.

Mr Dyer pleaded with the court to consider her circumstances as "exceptional" due to her pregnancy, and recent epileptic seizures.

He said she had been taken advantage of and to give her the minimum sentence for this charge of five years may be "arbitrary".

But Judge Smith did not consider Peers' case as an "exceptional circumstance", and felt she needed to be given at least the minimum sentence as a deterrent against gang culture and gun crime.

He told the court: "This is a sentencing exercise that troubles the court because of your own circumstances. You are only young and have no previous convictions.

"There is a five year minimum sentence for deterring gun culture and causes of guns. It's to stop guns going out on the streets that are used to kill.

"This person (who brought the gun) was somebody you were aware had a reputation of some type but you didn't ask any questions."

The judge said the raid by the men on the house looking for the gun clearly showed there were people looking to use it for "sinister" means which is why high minimum sentences are placed on these crimes by Parliament ­— to act as a deterrent for these activities.

Judge Smith sentenced Peers to five years for possession of a firearm, with 15 weeks concurrently for possessing ammunition without a certificate.