Overview
- Officers from the National Crime Agency raided David Boylett’s home in July 2021 and found two 3D printers, a partially completed handgun, gun parts and live ammunition.
- Forensic examiners recovered a folder of design files labelled "naughty stuff" that included blueprints for multiple weapons and used those files to recreate the firearm.
- Investigators completed the build themselves by removing excess polymer, doing several hours of metal work and waiting for epoxy to set before successfully test-firing the weapon to demonstrate it was potentially lethal.
- Boylett pleaded guilty to attempting to manufacture a component of a prohibited firearm and to possessing a firearm and ammunition without certificates, and he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison on Monday, August 10, 2026.
- The court heard mitigation about Boylett’s prior convictions, personal trauma and addiction, while prosecutors and the NCA stressed the case shows how easy access to printers and online instructions can create a public-safety risk and prompt calls for vigilance.