Man’s sentence increased by appeal judges

Offender will now serve five years for importing stun guns and CS sprays

Prosecutors have convinced appeal judges to impose a five-year jail term on an Angus man who broke strict firearms laws by importing CS sprays and stun guns into Scotland from abroad.

Maitland Cuthill, 41, was jailed for 16 months at Dundee Sheriff Court in August after pleading guilty to multiple breaches of the Firearms Act.

Cuthill admitted that between July 1 2015 and August 2 2015 at his home in Arbroath he purchased five CS spray canisters from an internet website based abroad.

He also admitted purchasing a stun gun and trying to import it into the UK and possessing a stun gun that was disguised as a torch.

Yesterday, at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh, prosecutors argued that Sheriff Alastair Carmichael, the judge who sentenced Cuthill, acted incorrectly.

They argued that legislation states that Cuthill should have received a fiveyear sentence for the offences.

Defence advocate Tony Lenehan argued that there were exceptional circumstances in the case. He argued that his client should receive a lesser sentence because he did not know the weapons were illegal.

However, appeal judges Lord Turnbull, Lord Menzies and Lady Paton ruled that Sheriff Carmichael acted incorrectly and imposed a five-year sentence on Cuthill.

Lord Turnbull said: “We will quash the sentence and impose a custodial term of five years.”

Maitland Cuthill was jailed for 16 months in August. He will now serve five years.