Well, well, well, firearms CAN be imitation firearms

[Rogerborg]

Welshplod have done this firearm-airgun armed nutter for an imitation firearms offence. 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/neighbour-bangs-grandmothers-door-air-25182750

It's a very curious charge, since either FA S16A (or S19) cover firearms (which airguns are) or imitation firearms.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/27/section/16A

On pure speculation, it may not have been functional, therefore not a 1J+ lethal barrelled firearm, so they went for imitation instead.

But whatever the reason, he went guilty, and it's a Crown Court precedent now.

Next time we have the whole "Akchyually, something can't be both a firearm and an imitation firearms, because that would make me feel bad in my feels", this is so getting cited.  

 

[Tommikka]

Welshplod have done this firearm-airgun armed nutter for an imitation firearms offence. 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/neighbour-bangs-grandmothers-door-air-25182750

It's a very curious charge, since either FA S16A (or S19) cover firearms (which airguns are) or imitation firearms.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/27/section/16A

On pure speculation, it may not have been functional, therefore not a 1J+ lethal barrelled firearm, so they went for imitation instead.

But whatever the reason, he went guilty, and it's a Crown Court precedent now.

Next time we have the whole "Akchyually, something can't be both a firearm and an imitation firearms, because that would make me feel bad in my feels", this is so getting cited.  

Very strange, as you say the offence was the same no matter how it’s classified …. And now we effectively have precident

 

[Guest]

Are you certain the journalist got the offence correct? 

 

[Pseudotectonic]

Are you certain the journalist got the offence correct? 

My first thought as well but multiple outlets seem to all report the same thing.

But perhaps they bent the barrel by accident and so had to call it an imitation instead:

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

But perhaps they bent the barrel by accident and so had to call it an imitation instead:

I think that the breech is open.

I did think that it looked bent to the side in the clip though.  Perhaps it's loose where it engages the breech?

He is now in prison where no one will take the piss about him getting locked up for pounding a grandmother's back door.  

Since its claimed that he had lost his mind during the offence, the MHA states that secure hospital route should have been followed.   

 

[Guest]

My first thought as well but multiple outlets seem to all report the same thing.

They will all have quoted the same source, I want to know verbatim that is what he was charged with.

 

[Rogerborg]

They will all have quoted the same source, I want to know verbatim that is what he was charged with.

Ditto, but there doesn't seem to be much about it. Cardiff Crown Court docket only lists the basic timeline of the sentencing on October 5th, and I can't find a record of the charges.  It won't appear on BAILII since it's "only" Crown, and not contested.

The thing is, I could easily see lazy journos (but I repeat myself) dropping the "imitation" from an imitation firearms charge to spice it up, but adding it in when it wasn't there to begin with seems vanishingly likely.

 

[Guest]

Ditto, but there doesn't seem to be much about it. Cardiff Crown Court docket only lists the basic timeline of the sentencing on October 5th, and I can't find a record of the charges.  It won't appear on BAILII since it's "only" Crown, and not contested.

The thing is, I could easily see lazy journos (but I repeat myself) dropping the "imitation" from an imitation firearms charge to spice it up, but adding it in when it wasn't there to begin with seems vanishingly likely.

I do agree, but I still want to see it officially ??

 

[Rogerborg]

I do agree, but I still want to see it officially ??

Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.