LONDON — A young Briton sentenced to six years in jail for a weapons charge after firing a gun at a car will lose more than his freedom.
Police in Gloucestershire, in southwestern England, plan to auction off some of his most precious possessions: designer sneakers.
The luxury footwear collection — 55 pairs with brand names like Christian Louboutin, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo — is estimated to be worth about $23,500, the Gloucestershire police force said in a statement Saturday.
In stripping Isaiah Hanson-Frost, 22, of his designer shoes, Gloucestershire police appear to want to teach would-be criminals a lesson.
“We often see the reason for someone to commit crime is down to their own personal greed and to make money,” said Detective Inspector Dave Shore-Nye.
“We are keen to put a stop to anyone who is living a lavish lifestyle which has been funded through crime,” Shore-Nye added.
Hanson-Frost has been in jail since April, when he admitted being in possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and violent disorder, police said. He was given a six-year prison term for firing at a blue Jaguar in November 2017.
Along with his brother and two friends, who received shorter sentences for violent disorder, Hanson-Frost was thought to be embroiled in a gang feud over drugs, the BBC reported. The opposing gang members who were shot at withheld information about their assailants, police said, but Hanson-Frost’s DNA was found on the gun.
During a hearing last month, he agreed to give up his pricey sneakers to the police force.
Auctions of items seized from criminals are not uncommon in Britain, but there are companies for such sales. According to the London mayor’s office, Wilson Auctions and John Pye & Sons hold public auctions of items from criminal investigations, along with surplus government equipment.
More than $127,000 was raised in one auction last February, during which items seized from a couple accused of fraud and money laundering in Scotland were sold.
A Section on 12/10/2018