British Army soldier who stole military equipment and gave it to a weapons maker who produced guns for Saving Private Ryan was busted when officers found the firearms in a …
- Staff Sergeant Andrew Tongue, 43, pinched MoD equipment over four years
Published: 12:27, 4 January 2024 | Updated: 12:37, 4 January 2024
A British Army soldier who stole military equipment and gave it to a weapons maker, who produced guns for Steven Spielberg[2]'s Saving Private Ryan, was busted when officers found the firearms in a secret room behind a bookcase.
Staff Sergeant Andrew Tongue, 43, pinched Ministry of Defence equipment over four years whilst in cahoots with licensed firearms dealer Gary Howard.
Between January 2014 and July 2018, he stole parts of military small arms and five receivers - described as 'key components to firearms'.
SSgt Tongue was stationed in Tidworth, Wiltshire, when he 'quite deliberately' removed them from military premises.
Having admitted five counts of theft by an employee, SSgt Tongue has now been handed a nine month suspended prison sentence and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work for the thefts while in a 'position of trust'.
Basingstoke Magistrates' Court, in Hampshire, heard yesterday police received information in July 2018 that Howard was selling the parts and searched his address.
Staff Sergeant Andrew Tongue, 43, stole military equipment and gave it to weapons maker Gary Howard, who produced guns for Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan (Pictured: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon and Edward Burns starring in 1998 Second World War war epic)
(Pictured from left to right: Jeremy Davies, Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper (on tank), Edward Burns, and Adam Goldberg) Officers discovered a hidden room behind a bookcase where several weapons were found
Howard, who has since died, previously provided firearms to companies in the entertainment industry, for military shows, and films including Saving Private Ryan.
Prosecutor Robert Bryan said officers discovered a hidden room behind a bookcase where several weapons were found.
Mr Bryan said officers found messages between him and SSgtTongue where Howard requested parts and the pair 'discussed methods' of how to steal the equipment.
The court heard that some of the stolen materials were used to make 'viable weapons' and 'the value of each completed weapon was around GBP3,000'.
Mr Bryan said: 'The parts belonged to the military and were unavailable to the public.
'[Tongue] cannot know where the parts might end up.
'Mr Tongue would know, and know only too well, in his position as a serving solider what the effect is of pulling a trigger on such a weapon and the devastating effect of such a weapon.'
He added: 'Military weapons are for the military and he quite deliberately removed that from the military.'
In mitigation, Richard Atkinson said that some of the items had been 'found in a metal skip' and were 'items of scrap open to anyone walking past'.
(Pictured: Tom Sizemore (as Sergeant Horvath) carries a Bazooka) Howard, who has since died, previously provided firearms to companies in the entertainment industry, for military shows
Mr Atkinson told the court that SSgt Tongue 'remains a trusted individual' and, despite obtaining them 'unlawfully', he had given the parts to 'someone who held a Home Office licence to use them lawfully'.
Addressing SSgt Tongue, District Judge Stephen Apted said: 'You stole these five upper receivers which have been described as key component parts of firearms.'
He said this had happened while he was 'employed in a position of trust'.
SSgt Tongue was handed a nine month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
He must also pay court costs of GBP85 and a surcharge fee of GBP154.
CrimeSteven Spielberg[3][4]References
- ^ Matt Strudwick (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Steven Spielberg (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Crime (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Steven Spielberg (www.dailymail.co.uk)