A feud between rival bikers in Salford has led to three members of one club being jailed for a combined 17 years for drugs and firearms offences.
The deliberate crashing of a car into the clubhouse of the Hells Angels biker club on Liverpool Road in Cadishead in 2020 began a five-year police investigation.
Three members of the Manchester Bandidos club and three of their associates have now been handed prison sentences and community orders.
The entire investigation stemmed from an initial road traffic collision report close to midnight on Saturday 22 August 2020, after a car had crashed into a property on Liverpool Road in Cadishead, the court heard.
Earlier that day, members of the Hells Angels motorcycle club travelled to a pub, just yards from their rival’s clubhouse on Chester Road in Trafford.
Members of the club spread themselves out along the road, in a show of disrespect, taunting their rivals who were not at the clubhouse at the time.
Later that afternoon, several members of the Bandidos motorcycle club returned to their clubhouse, where officers believe a revenge plan was hatched against their counterparts from Salford.
At 7pm, a Peugeot 2008 car, which was hired by Bandidos Sergeant at Arms Steve Mason a few days before the incident occurred, was captured on CCTV heading towards Salford.
Phone data suggests that two men Leslie `Diesel’ Lamb and Luke Emery were on board and in the Irlam and Cadishead area of Salford, along with the vehicle.
Prior to midnight the Peugeot was reversed into the front of the Hells Angels clubhouse on Liverpool Road in Cadishead.
CCTV from the area shows a suspect running away wearing a crash helmet and a distinctive jacket. The suspect is seen to get inside the waiting vehicle. The jacket was very similar to one worn by Emery on a previous social media post.
Steve Mason, who was the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Bandidos, was responsible for discipline and access to weapons. He was initially arrested in September 2021 by West Mercia Police and then further arrested by Greater Manchester Police in April 2024. Evidence showed Mason orchestrated the manufacture of 3D-printed firearms using multiple printers seized from addresses linked to him in Manchester and Exmouth.
Forensic analysis confirmed his DNA on the trigger and operational parts of a PG22 Maverick revolver, a prohibited weapon under the Firearms Act. He also featured in videos assembling gun components and was linked to ammunition and a traditional .38 calibre revolver.
Dale Austin, who lived with Mason, was linked to the traditional revolver and ammunition seized in Exmouth. His DNA was found on the trigger of the .38 Special revolver, which was test-fired by forensic experts and confirmed to be a viable weapon. Austin was also arrested for possession of Class A drugs during later enquiries.
Leslie Lamb played a key role in the feud and was heavily involved with orchestrating the attack on the rival clubhouse. A search of his home in Hartford Gardens in Timperley uncovered a cannabis farm capable of producing up to half a kilogram of Class B drugs. His DNA was also recovered from a 3D-printed firearm seized in Manchester.
The investigation uncovered a hybrid 3D-printed handgun design known as the PG22 Maverick, capable of firing .22 calibre rounds when fully assembled with metal components. Although incomplete at the time of seizure, forensic experts confirmed it met the legal definition of a firearm under the Firearms Act. Alongside this, officers recovered a Llama .38 Special revolver and six rounds of live ammunition, as well as multiple 3D printers, numerous bladed articles, and digital files for other printable weapons including the Liberator and Songbird pistols.
Retired Detective Constable Mike Armstrong-Porter who worked in GMP Salford district said: “This investigation originally started out as a call in relation to a road traffic collision, what transpired turned out to be a world of criminality we were not expecting.
“This, in essence, was a real-world ‘Sons of Anarchy’ dispute between two motorcycle clubs with a real disliking to each other.
“From that initial RTC report, this investigation escalated into an operation that would see us recover deadly, homemade, manufactured firearms capable of causing serious harm.
“These individuals were part of an organised network prepared to arm themselves and others, with complete disregard for public safety. The recovery of 3D printers, digital blueprints, and component parts shows how easily technology can be exploited for criminal purposes.
“Thanks to the dedication of officers across multiple forces, we have removed firearms, ammunition, and drugs from circulation thus preventing further violence, and dismantled a gang intent on causing harm.
“We have worked incredibly hard for the past six years on this case, now that it has come to an end, it is pleasing to see six criminals taken off the streets and into prison cells. Thankfully that RTC report led us to where it did, if that did not happen, a lot of potential deadly weapons could have flooded our streets.”
Steve Mason, 36, of HMP Oakwood, was jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm, manufacturing a prohibited firearm, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Dale Austin, 31, of Dukes Cresent, Exmouth, was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to possessing a prohibited firearm and being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.
Leslie Lamb, 43, of Hartford Gardens, Timperley, was jailed for 27 months after pleading guilty to criminal damage and cultivation of cannabis.
Also convicted for their part in this investigation were:
Luke Emery, 27, of Stockport, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and has been handed an 18-month sentence suspended for two years, 150-hour unpaid work; 10 days rehabilitation activity requirement. Emery along with Lamb were found to contain discussions about the planned attack on the clubhouse and included images of the damage they caused that night.
Victoria Priestner Emery, 38, of Timperley, who pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, was sentenced to 10-months imprisonment, suspended for 18-months. Priestner is the partner of Lamb and was arrested after officers discovered a 3D-printed revolver hidden on top of a wardrobe at her home in Trafford.
Mason’s girlfriend at the time Emma McCagh, 34, of Rolle Street, Exmouth, pleaded guilty to permitting the use of premises for supply of cocaine and was given a two-year community order. She was arrested in Devon after searches revealed resin components of 3D-printed firearms and a revolver at her address.
