A man interested in ‘tinkering’ with air weapons was found to have two models considered “dangerous”, which required certification.

Durham Crown Court was told that, “acting on information”, police searched Anthony Jackson’s home, in Oak Road, Easington Colliery, on October 7, last year.

The officers involved found a large number of air weapons, a knuckleduster and a quantity of 10.4g of the hallucinogenic drug, ‘magic mushrooms’.

Mr Lane said the weapons were seized and examined, with two found to be in the “dangerous” category, therefore requiring a certificate.

These were a 177 calibre Weirauch HW80 break-barrel air rifle and a .22 calibre Webley rotor model pre-charged pneumatic air rifle.

Detachable silencers, or ‘sound moderators’, for the two guns also required certificates.

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Both air rifles were test fired and discharged pellets that were over the specified limit, and, so, were considered, “dangerous”.

Mr Lane said inquiries confirmed Jackson was not in possession of certificates for either weapon or their sound moderators.

He was arrested and taken to a police station, where he was cautioned, and made no replies to questioning.

Appearing at a plea hearing at Durham Crown Court last week, the 29-year-old defendant, who is of previous good character, admitted four charges of possessing firearms without a certificate, two relating to the silencers.

He also previously admitted possessing a class A drug.

Mr Lane told the court sentencing hearing that in the police search of his home, no pellets were recovered for either offending weapon.

But he said, “an aggravating feature” of the case, was, “the sheer number” of weapons, even if many did not require certification.

Judge James Adkin said it was, “concerning”, as to how the weapons got to the defendant in the first place.

“It rather looks like he has an interest in guns and tinkering with guns.

“That’s the road down which he was taking a few tentative footsteps.”

But, Vic Laffey, in mitigation, said: “He does have an interest in guns, but he’s not going down that route.

“It’s very much a case of: ‘Let the buyer beware’ as there’s no responsibility on the seller to warn the purchaser they need certificates.

“He’s just bought them and, in ignorance, didn’t know.

“He has other air weapons which he doesn’t need certificates for.

“He just didn’t know.”

Mr Laffey, who said the defendant bought them for £250, told the court he is a self-employed garage door and shutter installer.

He said he still own air rifles, which he uses for pest control on his allotment.

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Judge James Admin told Jackson: “You are a man with no previous convictions who appears to have an interest in firearms.”

He said there were concerns how he got hold of some of the weapons, but he gave him the benefit of the doubt and imposed a 12-month community order, with 120-hours’ unpaid work.

But Judge Adkin warned him it can be, “a slippery slope” if he is not careful in pursuing his interest in such weapons.

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