A convicted armed robber was found to have two sawn-off shotguns, Halloween masks and ammunition hidden in his loft when police raided his home, a court heard.

The weapons and mask were described as a “robber’s kit” when Stephen Castle appeared at Maidstone Crown Court.

A judge was told the 50-year-old painter and decorator, of Bellfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, had in 1997 been jailed for 10 years for robbing a jewellers at gunpoint and stealing high value watches.

A year later he was sentenced to seven years for possessing prohibited weapons after two firearms and latex masks were found in his car on the A21.

Now, Castle has been locked up for seven years and eight months after admitting possessing prohibited firearms.

Officers went to the flat on January 28 and asked Castle if he had any drugs there. He replied he had some cannabis for personal use.

About 16g of cannabis and £200 cash were seized.

They then searched the loft and found the weapons and 10 cartridges in a bag under the insulation. As well as the masks, there were gloves and a hat.

Castle said he had been to Thailand and rented the flat out to a woman. He claimed cannabis had been grown there while he was away.

Julian Woodbridge, defending, said Castle claimed he had found the weapons on his return and had put them in the loft.

“Because of his previous convictions he knew he couldn’t report it to the police,” he said. “When the police knocked on the door he realised he was in trouble.

“He was caught on the horns of a dilemma. He was working extremely hard. He didn’t leave prison and go back to his old ways.”

Prosecutor Don Ramble said it was not accepted that Castle was “a reluctant custodian” of the guns.

“It would be a staggeringly unlucky coincidence for someone with his convictions for weapons to be in possession of firearms through the fault of someone else,” he added.

Castle was facing a minimum of five years imprisonment for the offences.

Judge Philip Statman told him: “You know exemplary sentences are called for in gun crime because as you will appreciate we live in very dangerous times.

“Sadly, lengthy prison sentences haven’t kept you away from crime.”