Fort man fined for keeping unlicensed air rifle

A Fort William man who kept an unlicensed air rifle, because it was the only memento he had of his late brother, was fined £400 at the town’s sheriff court last week.

Christopher Michael Johnstone, 59, of Grange Road, Fort William, had pleaded guilty to having the weapon in his home on November 10 last year without a valid certificate.

Procurator Fiscal Robert Weir told the court that police had visited Johnstone’s home in relation to a separate matter and had noticed that in the spare bedroom was a gun carrier bag and on checking found it contained the air rifle.

‘The officers seized the rifle and the accused was spoken to. He explained the weapon had belonged to his brother who had passed away some time ago and he had forgot about it.’

Defence agent Catriona Rowantree told the court police officers had already searched Johnstone’s home at other times and the rifle had been plain to see, but that officers did not make an issue of it until November 10.

‘Mr Johnstone told the police he was not aware it was an offence to be in possession of an air rifle without a licence,’ she said.

Ms Rowantree told Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald that her client suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and that the air rifle had sentimental value for him.

‘It is all he has to remember his late brother by and he would like to know if the rifle could be decommissioned so that he could keep it – and he would cover the costs of this if it is possible to do.

‘He never intend to use it and was keeping it purely for sentimental reasons and is prepared to pay for it to be decommissioned.’

Mr Weir said he was not in a position to say if decommissioning the weapon was technically possible, but he had no difficulty with the proposition if it was possible.

Fining Johnstone, Sheriff MacDonald told him she was granting the Crown’s application for forfeiture of the weapon meantime and he could liaise with the Crown thereafter on the possible decommissioning of the rifle.