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Regardless Of This Man's Exemplary Military Career, Surely He Should Have Received A Jail Sentence For Keeping This Stash Of Weapons?

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anotheoldgit | 09:38 Fri 15th Apr 2016 | News
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I think the pistol should have been used on Judge Plunkett
I can't see that this man's military record is relevant in any way.

We have strict guns laws since Dunblane, and this man should be treated just anyone else who is caught with illegally held guns.
Yes he should - laws are there for a reason!
He should have and he did.
//he [the judge] said parliamentary legislation left him with little choice over the sentence.//

.. ..but reading on, other people in a similar situation have been spared jail, so I wonder why the judge had no choice? The law appears to be a little ambiguous in this area to say the least. He should have made the effort to obtain the proper permissions to keep this equipment - no doubt about that - but I see no practical purpose or benefit in jailing him.
I have to say that this has all the hallmarks of a typical DM story...the use of the word Hero is a dead give-away.

Instead, the DM could have given this a public safety angle.
I am tending to agree with Naomi here....jailing him does seem a bit draconian, although the Judge has to set an example I suppose.

You would have thought that this chap, of all people, would realise the harm that guns do, and perhaps he should have donated his trophy to a Museum somewhere.....I am sure his old regiment has one.
It is not a big deal to have the 'trophy' Browning deactivated and correctly certificated. Hand guns such as the Webleys etc are illegal and so is the possession of the ammunition. Only Military and Police have authorised handguns in the UK.
I think some of us are aware of PTSS that can be suffered by ex servicemen who have served in combat.Not a good idea for this man to retain firearms especially as it was retained 'as a reminder of his 22 fallen comrades'.
May be the judge had that in mind when sentencing this man.
As an aside Clint Eastwood made a film recently called American Sniper. A true story about the longest one shot one kill to date.
When the main character retired from the military he helped rehabilitate ex servicemen who suffered combat stress. He would take them shooting to the ranges. Mistake. He was shot dead by one of the patients he was helping.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21313208
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mikey4444

/// the use of the word Hero is a dead give-away. ///

Are you doubting in any way that he was not a hero?

/// and perhaps he should have donated his trophy to a Museum somewhere. ///

There was more than one 'trophy',

*** Patterson had admitted possessing a 9mm self-loading pistol, five rounds of expanding ammunition, 177 rounds of 9mm ammunition, four Enfield pistols and a self-loading rifle component. ***

I can understand a person hanging on to a particular war trophy, although perhaps he should have made it inoperable, but five rounds of expanding ammunition and 177 rounds of 9mm ammunition?

In the present world we now all live in, what if this stash had got into the wrong hands?

AOG, //In the present world we now all live in, what if this stash had got into the wrong hands? //

You could say that about any gun. We have guns, and I don't know a farmer who doesn't own one.
I hardly think he needs a reminder that he lost 22 friends in the conflict. But no doubt someone will be along to spell it out to me in a way that is easy to understand and a tad patronising!
Naomi
You have guns and I have guns . As legitimate firearms owners we are bound by the Firearms Act to keep our firearms securely locked in Home Office approved safes,seperate from the ammunition and some constabularies insist on the bolts (if any) be removed and kept seperately.
We are also expected to allow random checks by the local firearms officer to ensure we are abiding by the terms of our certificate.
I doubt very much if Mr Patterson had gone to such expensive measures to purchase two separate secure firearms cabinets to house both firearms and ammunition, particularly as they were held illegally and were found by police investigating a burglary.
As usual those who abide by the Firearms law and shell out to comply with the rules suffer by those who choose to flout the law.
Keeping that particular weapon as a memento may just have been excusable , but add the rest of the stash in and that puts a different complexion on the case.

I can see the anger for some comes from the ambiguity of sentencing in similar cases and of course that is often hard to understand.
retrocop, of course.
Prosecuted yes, jailed no.

//We have strict guns laws since Dunblane, and this man should be treated just anyone else who is caught with illegally held guns.//

Exactly and many have not been jailed.
Ludicrous stance by the Daily Wail.
Why does the headline only say 'keeping a 9 mm pistol as a souvenir' when the actual offence was keeping 6 guns and 182 rounds of ammunition including 'expanding ammunition' which has but one purpose , to kill people while causing the maximum possible damage to the body!
He should have got at least 5 years! His excuse is just a joke, as an ex-serviceman he would have known better than anyone that what he did was illegal. He must have intentionally avoided handing his weapon over when he left the Army as well as acquiring more.
As I said Eddie...typical DM non-story !
Most of the papers have reported this, some linking to a petition - not just one.
Eddie//Why does the headline only say 'keeping a 9 mm pistol as a souvenir' when the actual offence was keeping 6 guns and 182 rounds of ammunition//
It happens to be an offence in the UK, but it isn't in most parts of the world, though a licence should be required, but that is expensive. He has an exemplary record of fighting for his country (something you have never done?).
Why have other people who had guns not gone to prison if there is no alternative?

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