Gun Culture

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Landlord Had a Sawn-off for Protection

From the local rag

The landlord of a Carlisle pub has been sent to prison for three years for keeping a loaded sawn-off shotgun beside his bed.
Michael John Charlton, 44, who until his arrest in March was licensee of the Golden Lion in Botchergate, kept the gun in his bedroom because he was frightened of intruders after a masked gang nearly killed him when they burst into his home six years ago.
He also had an imitation pistol, which fired blanks, in a holster on his bedpost.

On the face of it, this seems a bit harsh to me.  Clearly I don’t know this blokes background, could be some kind of shadowy underworld scumbag for all I know.  However what we do know is that ‘society’ failed to protect him in the past and he sought to take responsibility for his own security.  Not unreasonably.  Especially when he has received threats.  It’s no good saying to report these threats, the police won’t and can’t provide ‘round the clock protection for everyone.  The front line end of security must be the individual and this case just reminds us that the criminal justice system is extremely good at punishing those who help themselves.

Finally Judge Peter Hughes QC seems to be an ignorant fool.

after hearing how Charlton bought the handgun over the internet, the judge issued a warning.
“Such firms have a responsibility to ensure that illegal weapons can’t be acquired in that way, and it is a matter of concern that more has not been done to limit that trade,” the judge said.

A blank firing handgun is not an illegal weapon.  Sales have been restricted since the Betamax Act came into force on October 1st 2007 but possesion of same within your property is not prohibited and they are certainly not ‘illegal weapons’.  Unless you use them as a club I suppose.  Tit.