Laura Saunsbury represented a Bedfordshire farmer who faced a charge of unlawfully possessing a quantity of .22 rifle ammunition. The police found the rifle ammunition in his shotgun cabinet when they attended his address for an unrelated matter. Whilst our client had a shotgun certificate, he had never been granted a firearm certificate, which he would have needed to possess this type of ammunition. However, his father had held a firearm certificate for many years and there was a time when they shared the gun cabinet.

A trial took place at Luton Crown Court from 20 to 22 March 2012. During the trial our client and his father both gave evidence that they believed this ammunition must have belonged to the father and dated back to the period over 15 years previously when they shared the gun cabinet. In 1997 our client’s father had his firearm certificate revoked, and they both understandably assumed when the Police seized the father’s rifle they also removed all firearm ammunition from the cabinet.

Our client was very capably represented in court by specialist firearms barrister Nick Doherty, so much so that it took the jury less than an hour to reach a unanimous not guilty verdict. It was clear from the evidence heard during the trial and the directions given by the Judge to the jury that they reached this verdict on the basis they were satisfied our client was unaware there was an airgun pellet tin in his gun cabinet which in fact contained .22 rifle ammunition.

Having been entirely cleared of any wrongdoing, the Judge directed that our client’s privately paid legal costs be repaid from Central Funds.

This client was referred to Laura Saunsbury, our firearms law specialist, by the Country Land & Business Association (CLA), of which she is a business member. We understand our client has written to the CLA following his acquittal, thanking them for the recommendation, and praising in particular Laura’s very thorough and careful preparation of his case.