GUILTY AS CHARGED
A PARANOID man who bought stun guns disguised as torches to protect himself is facing five years in jail.
Thomas Scott, 54, bought three weapons disguised as torches and marked “police” online and claimed he did not know they were illegal.
He faces a minimum prison sentence of five years after pleading guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to possessing the firearms.
John Boyle, defending, said his client had a background of mental health issues, including paranoid schizophrenia, and had bought the stun guns after believing he was under threat.
He told the court: “Paranoid delusions led him to believe he was at risk of home invasion and he purchased these items to protect himself. He had no intention of using them.”
The court heard police searched Scott’s home in Carnoustie, Angus, in December 2017 after a tip-off.
Prosecutor Kirsten Letford said: “The accused started to panic and said he did not know it was illegal and had
Paranoid man faces jail for buying ‘torch’ stun guns to protect himself
purchased them from what he believed to be a legitimate website.
“A search of his property found three stun guns disguised as torches in his bedroom.”
The weapons were battery-operated stun guns capable of emitting a high-powered electric charge that could incapacitate someone.
Mrs Letford revealed they were marked with the word “police” and were likely to be of Asian origin.
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown deferred sentence until next month for reports. Scott’s bail order was continued.
The purchase of stun guns carries a mandatory minimum jail term, which can be reduced with a guilty plea.
In September, joiner Christopher Nicol, from Kirriemuir, Angus, was jailed for 40 months for having stun guns disguised as torches.
In December, Aberdeen man Simon Warren pled guilty to having a stun gun torch and a pink lipstick stun gun and was jailed for five years.