The Police have heralded the lengthy sentences meted out to two gunmen today.

Anthony Swan, 22, received 12 years behind bars for shooting at gangster Raymond (Yankee) Rawlins on Court Street, Pembroke, in December 2009.

And Omari Gordon, 28, was sentenced to ten years behind bars for firing a gun during a Police chase in Middletown, Pembroke, in November 2008. (See separate stories on this website.)

Detective Chief Inspector Nicholas Pedro, the officer in charge of the Serious Crime Unit said tonight: “The sentencing of Mr. Swan today to 12 years imprisonment represents the culmination of several months of dedicated work by members of the Police Service, and the prosecutors in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

The detective said the sentence should “serve as a strong reminder to all members of the public that gun and gang crime in any shape or form, will not be tolerated”.

Meanwhile, the Police also heralded the jailing of Gordon, who fired a shot after engaging the Police in a chase as they tried to stop him during a routine traffic check. He later went on the run for more than a year but was eventually found hiding in an apartment in Sandys.

Assistant Commissioner David Mirfield said: “This once again demonstrates that those who choose to pick up guns and engage in criminal acts will be pursued, will be caught and punished by the courts. I sincerely hope that this long sentence of imprisonment will act as a deterrent.”

See more on all these stories in tomorrow's Royal Gazette