Harry
2009-11-15 19:38:38
http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Ex-soldier-faces-jail-handing-gun/article-1509082-detail/article.html
UK has some silly laws.
He found the gun in his garden in a trash bag… he opened the trash bag, saw it was a gun, called one of the officers he must have known, told them he was coming in, and dropped the gun in front of him letting him know he was turning it in. They then promptly arrested him…his back fence borders a public park, and is the lowest of all his neighbors .
A former soldier who handed a discarded shotgun in to police faces at least five years imprisonment for "doing his duty".
Paul Clarke, 27, was found guilty of possessing a firearm at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday – after finding the gun and handing it personally to police officers on March 20 this year.
The jury took 20 minutes to make its conviction, and Mr Clarke now faces a minimum of five year's imprisonment for handing in the weapon.
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"At the police station, I took the gun out of the bag and placed it on the table so it was pointing towards the wall."
Mr Clarke was then arrested immediately for possession of a firearm at Reigate police station, and taken to the cells.
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Just by having the gun in his possession he was guilty of the charge, and has no defence in law against it, he added.
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Judge Christopher Critchlow said: "This is an unusual case, but in law there is no dispute that Mr Clarke has no defence to this charge.
"The intention of anybody possessing a firearm is irrelevant."
UK has some silly laws.
He found the gun in his garden in a trash bag… he opened the trash bag, saw it was a gun, called one of the officers he must have known, told them he was coming in, and dropped the gun in front of him letting him know he was turning it in. They then promptly arrested him…his back fence borders a public park, and is the lowest of all his neighbors .