A TERMINALLY-ill former charity boss caught with an arsenal of weapons, dodgy cigarettes and more than £26,000 in illicit cash has avoided an immediate prison sentence.

James Rodney Jones, 74, better known as Rod, pleaded guilty to a catalogue of charges in April 2020 but his failing health and a query about his basis of plea resulted in a lengthy delay.

Jones, who was the head of Convoy Aid for around three decades, appeared at Teesside Crown Court from his sick bed via a videolink to his home.

The court heard how traces of his DNA was recovered from a number of weapons discovered in a storage unit and his home following a raid by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

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The officers recovered a sawn-off shotgun, a handgun, used ammunition, thousands of cigarettes, cannabis, and cash following the searches in July 2019 of his storage unit in Stockton and his-then Middlesbrough home.

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced the pensioner to two years in custody, suspended for 12 months after hearing about his terminal illness.

“I note that the handgun was in full working order, the spent cartridges were found to have been fired from it and your DNA was recovered from the trigger and guard.

“The shotgun found in your unit was capable of being fired and so to items recovered from your home, including a shotgun which had your DNA on it,” he said.

“These are matters which, of course, would have been dealt with in a different way but for your medical situation.”

After the judge passed sentence, Jones said: “Thank you so much.”

Paul Mitchell, prosecuting, said the defendant was prohibited from owning or possessing any firearm due to a previous conviction dating back to the 60s.

The Northern Echo: Rod Jones at his empty charity storage unitRod Jones at his empty charity storage unit

He told the court that Jones had claimed the weapons had been donated with clothing to his charity and he intended to hand them in at the next police firearms amnesty – a claim which was discounted by the prosecution and the judge.

Jones pleaded guilty to possession of firearms including a sawn-off shotgun; criminal property, cash said to be £26,636; and fraudulent evasion of duty - being involved in evading £19,862 in duty on tobacco products.

The defendant, of Pine Grove, Hartlepool, also pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a Class B drug, cannabis, with intent to supply.

Robert Mochrie, in mitigation, said Jones had been told he only had a year to live and his life ‘was in a sorry state’.

He added: “The defendant lies prone on his bed at home dependant on a level of oxygen to survive and even then it seems that his diagnosis is dire.

“He accepts that he is approaching the end of his life and he has been told he has now less than 12-months to live.”

More than a decade ago, Mr Jones ran into trouble on one of his many mercy missions when he was investigated by the Romanian police for a number of alleged firearms offences.

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Authorities in Romania seized several guns and air weapons from Mr Jones' residence during the course of their investigations.

The arms – a replica Winchester rifle, two replica colt 45s, an air rifle and air gun – were, he said, shipped by mistake to Romania, among a consignment of aid several years earlier.

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