Stay up to date with notifications from TheĀ Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Coldstream Guard who sold bullets to undercover officer is jailed for three years

Rajon Graham, 34, a lance sergeant in the elite unit, had pleaded guilty to four counts of selling ammunition.

Henry Vaughan
Thursday 06 April 2023 07:48 EDT
Coldstream Guardsman Rajon Graham at Southwark Crown Court (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Coldstream Guardsman Rajon Graham at Southwark Crown Court (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

A soldier from the elite unit responsible for protecting the royal family has been jailed for three years after selling bullets to an undercover officer in a police sting.

Rajon Graham, 34, a lance sergeant in the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards ā€“ recognisable by the distinctive red jackets and black bearskin hats ā€“ was dishonourably discharged from the British Army in October last year after pleading guilty to four counts of selling ammunition.

He was based at the Wellington Barracks near Buckingham Palace and tasked with carrying out state and ceremonial duties at the time of the offences between December 7, 2020 and January 28, 2021, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Graham sold a total of 300 9mm bullets, which he referred to as ā€œsweetsā€, wrapped in Bacofoil sandwich bags, for Ā£5,800 in cash to an officer posing as a serious criminal involved in the drugs trade.

The defendant intended there to be a high risk of death or serious harm because he was selling 300 live bullets to an individual he believed was involved in the dealing of drugs and had criminal associates who needed live ammunition in the context of the drugs trade

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC

The ammunition was from a manufacturer who supplied the Coldstream Guards ā€“ the oldest continuous regiment in the Army, which carries out ceremonial duties at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle ā€“ but the Army claimed the bullets were not stolen from the military, the court heard.

However, Judge David Tomlinson, sentencing Graham, who was born in Jamaica, to a total of three years on Thursday said: ā€œYour ability to obtain this ammunition must have been connected to your occupation.ā€

The judge praised married father-of-one Grahamā€™s ā€œexemplaryā€ service ā€œprovided to this prodigious wing of our armed servicesā€ over eight years.

He added: ā€œYou believed that the person who paid you for this ammunition was an active criminal and someone you must or ought to have realised was part of an organised crime group.

ā€œIn fact, no harm was done because the individual you did this business with was an undercover police officer.ā€

The court heard Graham, who was responsible for the ceremonial kit used by the regiment, including swords and bearskins, boasted to the undercover officer, ā€œDā€, of his criminal network.

He took D inside Victoria Barracks, the Windsor base of the Coldstream Guards, during a meeting on December 17, 2020, and offered to show him live rifles in the armoury, but the officer refused because it was ā€œtoo riskyā€.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said: ā€œThe defendant intended there to be a high risk of death or serious harm because he was selling 300 live bullets to an individual he believed was involved in the dealing of drugs and had criminal associates who needed live ammunition in the context of the drugs trade.ā€

Graham was arrested alongside Warrant Officer Kirtland Gill, 42, who was due to become the first black regimental sergeant major in the Coldstream Guards.

He was cleared of plotting to sell ammunition with Graham after a trial last year after claiming he had ā€œno knowledgeā€ of the scheme and telling the jury his friend Graham set him up.

ā€œHeā€™s leading a double life,ā€ he said. ā€œI would even question if heā€™s mentally stable.ā€

Graham was arrested again just two weeks after he entered his guilty pleas for giving someone a revolver loaded with two live rounds at a party in Tottenham, north London, in December 2021, but not charged.

Austin Stoton, defending, said he had an ā€œimpeccable service recordā€ but fell into ā€œdesolate timesā€ after suffering depression following his return to the UK from a tour of Afghanistan in 2013.

ā€œThis was the beginning of this rather sad tale,ā€ he said, telling the court his client was told by a Jamaican friend he could make money from selling ammunition.

ā€œHe realises that was a stupid, naive thing to do.ā€

Detective Constable Simon Dadgostar, from the Flying Squad, said: ā€œThe actions of Graham are simply shocking.

ā€œOur detailed and protracted investigation highlighted the lengths he went to in order to hide his criminal activity.

ā€œGraham was in a position of trust and power which he abused and now he will pay the price.

ā€œThe Met will continue to work hard in preventing firearms and ammunition making it onto Londonā€™s streets, and tackling all forms of violence.ā€

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in