“If the grenades had exploded, the damage would have been catastrophic.”
The words of the police after a man was sentenced for stashing Ukranian explosives at his North Yorkshire bungalow.
Stewart Wright smuggled them from the front line of the war in Ukraine, and stored them at his home near Leeming, North Yorkshire.
The items had been hidden in a vehicle he was in as it was driven across Europe and into Britain in 2023.
When police searched Wright’s property, they found Ukrainian F1 grenades which can be lethal up to 200 metres, along with Russian offensive grenades which project deadly fragments up to 150 metres.
The fuses had been removed for transportation but the explosive elements were still in the grenades. That meant they were highly dangerous and had to be disposed of by military bomb experts.
Wright, 45, travelled to the conflict as a self-styled humanitarian volunteer.
He also stashed firearms ammunition and other military equipment in the small bungalow.
A carrier bag full of 7.62mm-calibre bullets, a 30mm round and a magazine containing a further 30 rounds were seized, along with the four grenades.
Wright was arrested by armed police officers last February and made no comment during police interviews.
The investigation explored Wright’s motives and found no evidence he intended to use the devices to cause injury, but found he had a fascination with the war in Ukraine and military items.
Wright appeared at Teesside Crown Court and pleaded guilty in January to possessing explosives for an unlawful purpose and possessing firearms ammunition illegally.
He was sentenced to a total of 24 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, by a judge at the same court on Friday (2 May).
Detective Constable Amy Sharrad who led the investigation by Harrogate CID said: “He seemed unable to grasp the severity of his actions or show any remorse.
“These are extremely dangerous items, and by possessing them illegally Wright put not just himself but other people at grave risk. If the grenades had exploded, the damage would have been catastrophic.”