Man carried air rifle in his waistband on Shrewsbury street
A man has admitted carrying an air rifle in a town street when he appeared before magistrates.
Dean Bailey at first denied an offence of possessing an imitation firearm in a public place in Shrewsbury on April 8, but changed his plea to guilty ahead of a trial.
Mrs Kris Ewing, prosecuting, said the 32-year-old was arrested after police received reports of a man walking around with ‘a gun’, in the Monkmoor area of the town.
When Bailey was stopped by officers near his home in Forest Way, the gun was tucked into the waist of his track bottoms and pellets were found in his pockets.
Mr Paul Nicholas, mitigating, said: “This is a peculiar case. The police had confiscated the air gun prior to this incident and gave it back to my client.
“He took it to an remote location to shoot cans on a fence with his friend. He didn’t know he was doing anything wrong at all. He didn’t realise he shouldn’t have taken it out on to the street.”
He added: “He didn’t brandish it, it remained in his waistband and when the officers found him he didn’t run away from them. He apologises for his actions. He tells me that he will not do it again. He wants it back for sentimental reasons as it was a gift from his partner.”
Bailey told the bench at the hearing held in Telford yesterday: “It was the last thing my girlfriend gave me before she died.”
MFor the offence the magistrates gave Bailey a two-year conditional discharge, ordered him to pay £500 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. They also allowed him to keep the air weapon which had been seized by West Mercia Police.
