Prosecutors have called for a Paget man found with a loaded gun under his bed to serve 12 years behind bars.

Wahhaj Shakir, 22, pleaded guilty earlier this year to possessing a firearm, four rounds of ammunition and a knife in an incident last July.

The court heard that at about 11.43pm on July 18, officers were conducting stop-and-search operations on Middle Road in Southampton when they stopped Shakir.

During the stop, the officers noted that Shakir’s vehicle was unlicensed and he had outstanding warrants.

They also noticed that Shakir smelled of cannabis.

Asked if he had any drugs on him, Shakir told them that he had about 3g.

The officers searched a bag on Shakir’s person and found a quantity of plant material and white powder, which the defendant said was “like molly”.

Shakir was arrested and taken to Hamilton Police Station, where a search revealed $192 in cash and a knife with a 4in blade hidden in his shoe.

Given the circumstances of his arrest, police decided to search his home in Paget, where they recovered more suspected drugs, including white powder and plant material.

Officers discovered a black pouch under Shakir’s mattress, which contained a semi-automatic 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun with a single round of live ammunition in the chamber and three others in the pouch.

Shakir later took part in a police interview and said he knew nothing about the pouch or its contents.

He added that he had never touched the weapon but had had visitors to his room, who he refused to name, who could have stashed the pouch there.

Police examined Shakir’s phone and found several pictures and videos of Shakir brandishing the firearm, along with messages which appeared to make reference to the weapon.

Prosecutors noted Shakir’s guilty plea and lack of previous convictions as mitigating features and called for a sentence of five years for the knife and 12 years in prison — the mandatory minimum sentence — for the firearm and ammunition.

However, Victoria Greening, for Shakir, argued that a 12-year sentence would be disproportionate, given that others had received the mandatory minimum for more serious cases.

She specifically noted the sentence of Ramano Mills, who she said had been outdoors with a firearm and struggled with the arresting officers but received a 12-year sentence.

Ms Greening suggested a ten-year sentence for the firearm and ammunition charges and a three-year sentence for the bladed article, with the time Shakir had already spent behind bars taken into account.

Daniel Kitson-Walters, for the Crown, responded that the court should only go below the mandatory minimum for “exceptional” cases.

The prosecutor added that he did not see anything exceptional about Shakir’s case, such as the defendant telling police who gave him the weapon.

Puisne Judge Alan Richards reserved his sentence in the matter, adjourning the case until later this week.

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