When police searched the boot of a Spalding man following a domestic incident, they found what was described as an “excellent example” of an imitation firearm.
Shane Simon Lenny Houghton (24), of Delgate Avenue, Weston, admitted possessing an imitation firearm when he appeared at Boston Magistrates Court.
Prosecuting, Jim Clare said that in the early afternoon of November 4, police searched a Vauxhall Corsa belonging to Houghton in Julia’s Mead, Spalding and in the boot found two BB guns – one of which was a toy and the other a black replica which was indistinguishable from a real Beretta Elite pistol and which was described by a firearms expert as an “excellent example”.
Houghton told officers he had bought the firearm from a friend a couple of days before, intending to use it as spares for the other BB gun that was in the boot and then to throw it away.
Mitigating, Suleman Haig said Houghton had been “fully compliant” with the police and had, in fact, told them at the scene that he had the two guns in the boot.
He said Houghton had purchased it simply to take certain parts of it out to repair the other BB gun.“He’d already done this at the friend’s house but did not want to throw it away there because he had young children, so he was taking it home to dispose of it safely,” he told the magistrates.
Houghton, who was said to be on Universal Credit, was fined £80 and ordered to pay £115 in costs and charges.
