A grandmother has been jailed for five years for possessing a "family heirloom" World War II pistol.
news.stv.tv/scotland/tayside/183046-granny-jailed-for-keeping-war-hero-dads-pistol-in-home/
"The court heard that the family heirloom semi-automatic pistol was made about 1941 "
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/10335003.stm
"The weapon was sent for examination by firearms experts who concluded that it was a Czech-made pistol dating back to about 1927. "
Some good reporting ?
If anyone finds a hand gun that was dads / grandads or maybe grandmas what can or should be the action taken to "dispose" of it legally ?
Pop it in a brown paper bag and pop down to the local police station?
Dial 999 and ask for the collection service?
We do not know the full facts in this case but with the potential risk of five years in side HMP calling for help seems to have more risks than wrapping it up and chucking it in the wheely bin.
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I think that if you contacted the police you would be in the clear.
In this case she seems to have kept it for 29 years, knowing that it was a real gun, and it was only found due to an unrelated police search.
Might seem a bit strict, but it seems that 5 years is the minimum sentence for possession and she did intentionally keep it knowing that it was real. Just because she is a grandmother and because the weapon is old, doesn't really change anything.
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>> If anyone finds a hand gun that was dads / grandads or maybe grandmas what
>> can or should be the action taken to "dispose" of it legally ?
>> Pop it in a brown paper bag and pop down to the local police station?
>> Dial 999 and ask for the collection service?
>>
Locally, you can hand it in to the rozzers, who send it away for forensic testing, to determine if it hasn't been used in a crime, then get it decommisioned by a gunsmith IF you want to keep it for display purposes etc.
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In your part of the world I thought they were an essential accessory to be kept in the glovebox of the car? ;-)
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That's scandalous. Her father risked his life so that we could be free. I think we should start a "Free the Dundee granny." campaign.
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I think her story gets a little shaky when it's reveal she kept it under her mattress.
That's where I'd keep a gun if I wanted to blow the head off a burglar. My family heirlooms I keep in a box in the attic.
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The *granny* had previous for serious assult and the gun was found when police searched her place for her son who has previous assault/knife crime offences to his name.
Not my idea of the average granny!
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I once did a shed clearance for an old lady whose husband had died. He was a keen hobbyist, his shed well-kitted out with machinery and gadgets, and on the wall were pictures dating from his service in the Great War. There was a framed certificate of discharge signed by George V.
Hanging behind the frame was a well-preserved .303 rifle, and in a drawer a box of ammunition.
We could see that the rifle was very old, a much older version of the .303s I used to drill with in the school corps. Rather than alarming the very frail old lady with a police raid and all the subsequent questioning etc, we called the local museum. They apparently have a special dispensation to handle firearms, so the gun was handed over and no more questions were asked.
The museum was pleased to get the donation - the rifle was an early 1914 re-issue from the Boer war. It appears the man had simply come home from the war with his rifle and kept it ever since.
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I was present when a friend was clearing out a relative's house. Once the safe cracker had broken into the safe, we called the police to surrender two war-issue pistols and a bag of bullets - enough to start a small war. Said relative had served behind enemy lines in WW2. It took two hours for the armed response unit to arrive! We never found the two Lugers that he had reputedly "acquired" - it is assumed that one day they will turn up, secreted in a piece of furniture.
I think a lot of people kept a small "souvenir" - after six years spent with a pistol in their pocket, some felt somewhat "naked" without one. Clearly there weren't very good controls over who had what guns. Amazing there weren't more incidents. My father told a tale from his time in the RAF in the Far East during the war of a US airman who was staying on his aerodrome. One night, having partaken of a fair few shandies, he set up a line of beer bottles outside his hut and proceeded to shoot them with his .45. Nobody batted an eyelid...
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I used to have an old Army knife which had a thing for getting stones out of horse's hooves, plus two sheath knives when I was in the Scouts. They would probably now be classed as offensive weapons.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Thu 17 Jun 10 at 10:43
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Is Granny taking the rap for her son?
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>> taking the rap for her son?
Grandson... it does look a bit as if the court is putting pressure on her to bubble the young fellow. The BiB only searched the place because they were interested in him, according to the story. His quoted shouted remark as he left the court won't have done either of them any favours, I can't help feeling.
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Sorry, son... I hadn't really looked at everyone's age.
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....she has a previous conviction for a serious assault....
And the son's in bother, too.
What do these people expect, a pat on the back?
I was at a similar case a few months ago.
Pistol and ammo found in the house of a man with a criminal past.
The weapon was on top of a wardrobe in his son's bedroom
But it was too high for the little lad to reach, we were told.
The guy claimed he had been prevailed upon to store the gun.
Might even have been true.
He got five years amid much weeping and wailing in the court's public gallery.
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It's not like anybody who knows anything wouldn't expect a prison sentence...good.
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Famous career crim round here got a 9 stretch, I think, for possession....in boot of his car.
Been paroled recently and now just charged with rape........back in custody now.
Ted
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More to this than meets the eye.
Know what I mean? Know what I mean? Nudge, nudge. wink, wink.
Say no more, squire.
Last edited by: Duncan on Fri 18 Jun 10 at 07:09
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This gun granny had could she of had it deactivated years back i can't see why not plenty of men have firearms that are deaactivated in there little collections don't they?
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>> This gun granny had could she of had it deactivated years back i can't see
>> why not plenty of men have firearms that are deaactivated in there little collections don't>> they?
>>
Any chance of getting this in some form of English?
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I think if you imagine a few full stops and capitals you're in business. Still, there were no misplaced apostrophes! :-)
JH
Last edited by: Tooslow on Fri 18 Jun 10 at 13:18
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Which part of the English language are you having trouble with?
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Iinterpreted:
"This gun granny had could she of had it deactivated years back i can't see why not plenty of men have firearms that are deaactivated in there little collections don't they?"
as:
"This gun granny had, could she have had it de-activated years ago? I can't see why not; plenty of men have de-activated firearms in their little collections, don't they!"
However, there are probably quite a few possibilities!
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Certainly was not in English ;-)
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soz old m8 just seems i carnt spell rite like u m8 will go bak to skool and hv a go at writinge will u hv ago at learning me???
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Axxxxxxxg to oxe pxxxxn wxo cxxxxxxxxxs on txxxs fxxxm, oxe oxxxy nxxxs to gxt txe fxxxt axd lxxt lxxxxxs cxxxxxxxy. Fxxxxxy I txxxk ixs a lxxd of bxxxxxxs.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 18 Jun 10 at 17:58
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Leave Big Tee alone Duncan, I knew perfectly well what he meant.
Pat
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She's not that wailing old crooner from Britains Got talent is she?
No?
That's a pity
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Granny had an old gun. - SteelSpark
