Man avoids immediate prison sentence after admitting firearms licence offences
A Telford man has been handed a suspended prison sentence for a number of offences related to the storing of a shotgun and a rifle.
Owners of shotguns and rifles have to abide by strict conditions to keep weapons of this type under the Firearms Act of 1968, magistrates in the town were told.
Richard Cavey, aged 56, of Hurleybrook Way, Leegomery, pleaded guilty to failing to securely store a .22 calibre BRNO rifle and a side by side shotgun on June 30, 2023.
Cavey also admitted failing to store the BRNO rifle at an address in Bloomsbury, Shifnal when not in use, which was a condition of his possessing it.
Sara Beddow, prosecuting, outlined the circumstances at Telford Magistrates Court on January 17 and the bench took Cavey's guilty pleas into account when handing down the sentence.
Magistrates decided that the firearms and the ammunition should be forfeited by Cavey and destroyed under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.
They decided that the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified.
They said this was because of the insecure storage at an address other than that specified on his licence created a "substantial risk that the items could be taken out of the defendant's possession."
Magistrates decided that an imprisonment period of four weeks would be appropriate but suspended it for 18 months.
They also ordered Cavey to pay prosecution costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £154 in full by February 15 this year.
