A SOUTHAMPTON father-to-be was caught storing a sawn-off shotgun and live ammunition in his city bedroom.

Daniel Terry Hooper had the weapon stashed in the wardrobe of his bedroom in Warren Avenue, a court heard.

The 22-year-old claimed he was in debt to a local drug dealer and was pressured into keeping it for him. 

His father went looking for socks in his son’s room as they often got mixed up.

He found an orange bag with something heavy in it, and discovered a sawn-off shot gun.

Following a further search of his bedroom a shoe box containing white powder and more than 50 live cartridges were found.

There were also knives and a knuckle duster. 

He then phoned the police, initially taking responsibility, to “ensure a deadly weapon was removed from the streets”.

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, it was heard that the gun had been stolen during a burglary in the city on February 23, 2018. 

After it was discovered, the defendant was then arrested on November 1 and remained silent during a police interview.

The Tesco worker was then charged with possession of a firearm, to which he pleaded guilty.

During the hearing, it was heard that three days before the weapon was found, Hooper claimed the drug dealer had come round to his house with a gym bag and asked to store something in his wardrobe.

He then told Hooper not to touch anything. 

The dealer “had a reputation for violence”, it was heard.

Hooper thought the bag and shoe box might contain class A drugs.

However, Judge Rowland said: “I am quite sure the defendant has not told the whole truth”. 

He added: “I doubt he owed a drug debt at all.”

He jailed Hooper for the minimum term of five years of which he will serve half.

Mitigating during a previous court hearing, defence barrister Khalid Missouri had said his client was now in a stable relationship and expecting a child with his partner.