Tamworth angler jailed for keeping air rifle

[trader 0]

"Mr Michael Grey, defending, told the judge: "This is an absolute offence.

 

"I wasn't aware myself that a .22 air rifle required a Firearms Certificate, but that is no defence."

 

 

 

It's a good job his brief wasn't prosecuting. He'd have got the full 5 stretch.

i would of got it ajourned and sacked my brief ,who needs a prat like that on your side

[Geoff.C 0]

No idea what the "domestic incident" was, that caused the police to be at his house. I can only guess it was some sort of argument that went out of control, perhaps involving threats to someone? In a case like that, the police have to look for weapons that MAY be used if the situation were to escalate. He would have had the rifle pulled anyway, even if he had a ticket for it. Pity his brief didn't do a better job of familiarising himself with the law, regarding firearms. Nine months just for having the gun sounds bad, but I think it could have been five years.

[hughesey1552 0]

Ignorance isnt an excuse. They cant just let the guy off, they have probably given him the shortest possible sentance under the law but they cant make exceptions to fire arms law just because he said he didnt know it was illegal and that he was only going to shoot rats.

[macmod 0]

Who would pay £500 for a air rifle from a car boot without doing some research and for that matter who would pay 500 quid for one from a shop without doing the research?

[Jayd 0]

Who would pay £500 for a air rifle from a car boot without doing some research and for that matter who would pay 500 quid for one from a shop without doing the research?

 

He may have known what the gun was, and read about them. Maybe he didn't know the power output, and just knew it was a good gun? I read about peoples guns on here, if I saw one at the right money, I would buy one. Doesn't mean to say you know what power it's putting out. What about if you buy a springer that's putting out over the limit, but you didn't know because you thought it was standard? Million and one different scenarios mate, and only he will know the true outcome.

[ChrisJones 7,973]

First of all, if your gun is capable of going over the limit with any pellet it needs an FAC or a detune.

 

Secondly, we're assuming the guy, in this article, didn't know he had an illegal firearm. He may well have done and was riding his luck in court. The point is that it's the owners responsibility to know the power of their guns and this makes the most concise case, I've ever read, for owning a chronograph as part of your shooting set up. Whatever the reasons they had for seizing his guns, thirty five quid for a chronograph doesn't sound like such a bad investment now, does it?

[Tuzo 251]

Ignorance isnt an excuse. They cant just let the guy off, they have probably given him the shortest possible sentance under the law but they cant make exceptions

 

 

I was prosecuted 18 months ago for the same thing and was fined.............so no they didn't give him the shortest possible sentence. The court has to take into account mitigating factors as they did in my case. These factors are weighed up and then sentence is passed.

 

True it is an absolute crime.

 

I'm guessing there is more to this than meets the eye.

Edited January 29, 2009 by Ko Shamo

[Guest david1976]

The gun was seized during the execution of a warrant at his home in Tamworth in connection with a domestic incident.

 

If the Police were called to an incident of a domestic nature then it is acceptable for them under the circumstances to take firearms or shotguns from the house if the relevant checks are done on the people within the house and they show up a certificate holder.

 

The reason for this being in a domestic incident there is a good chance of a degree of violence within the property and not just an argument. If someone who owns a certificate has an issue whereby they see the red mist and batter @!&k out of their spouse then taking the guns out of the house is to prevent a possible death.

 

If a cowardly wimp of a man has a temper or psychological problem and thinks it perfectly acceptable to batter their partner do you really think that they are a suitable candidate for guns?

 

Also granting a warrant is not the norm for going to a house and it doesnt say of the warrant was a firearms one. It may have been a drugs warrant for example.

 

I am not saying the chap in the article is any of the above as i don't know him or the ins and outs of the case.

[warbiscuit 0]

severe miscarriage of justice.

paedos are walking the streets, getting 6 months for their crimes, and some poor geezer who just wants to pop a few rats, and has absolutely no intention of harming anyone is crucified, what a joke.

what is this country coming to?

its about time this government started to look after its own, and penalise the criminals instead of the good honest people!!!!!

so the guy had a domestic, we've all had our share of arguments, so what, i have two rifles in my house, doesnt mean i'm gonna pop the mrs after a wee disagreement.

the rifle was in his fishing kit, which backs up the guys intentions, he had no way of knowing without the proper equipment the power of this rifle....

inexperience has obviously done harm in this instance......

Edited January 29, 2009 by warbiscuit

[ChrisJones 7,973]

he had no way of knowing without the proper equipment the power of this rifle....

Yeah but the law kinda says that you do have to know... Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[jamiethehunter 0]

Even if the gun had been under the limit from what i've read of the story he was going to shoot rats when fishing because they were bothering him. So my guess is he wouldn't have had permission from the landowner so that would also have been illegal he would have then been carrying a gun in a public place without a valid reason. So all in all i think he was very lucky he could have found himself in a lot worse trouble had he actually taken the gun out and used it. If he was ignorant about the power limit then i doubt he would have been familiar with any of the other laws as far as i'm concerned he deserved the punishment he got. It's just a pity the person that sold it to him didn't get the same treatment.

[BRYAN3 29]

Hello chums.

Who knows the real facts behind this case?

I would wager that he knew the seller and that seller bragged about the guns power and used it as a selling point.

The boot sale story was just a cover to prevent dropping the seller in the 5h1t.

It was probably with the fishing gear bacause rod bags are conveniently good for hiding guns.

 

Who knows?

 

 

Bryan

[warbiscuit 0]

who knows? we could spend forever yakking on about the rights and wrongs and possibles of this.

wrong or right, its done.

[droid 11]

Just a bit of local info to throw into the speculation: The Kerria isn't exactly a salubrious area of Tam.

 

I agree with those who think that we don't know all the circumstances. We only know what the papers/Police choose to tell us. So comments like 'it's a miscarriage of justice' are pointless and possibly incorrect.

[charlwood1005 0]

Ignorance isnt an excuse. They cant just let the guy off, they have probably given him the shortest possible sentance under the law but they cant make exceptions

 

 

I was prosecuted 18 months ago for the same thing and was fined.............so no they didn't give him the shortest possible sentence. The court has to take into account mitigating factors as they did in my case. These factors are weighed up and then sentence is passed.

 

True it is an absolute crime.

 

I'm guessing there is more to this than meets the eye.

 

 

Just as amatter of interest approx how much over was your equipment?