Man caught with cigarette lighter shaped like a gun jailed for 10 months...In the U.K

Wow i do not know anything about your gun laws over there but this seems really harsh 4 a dam lighter..granted it does look real in the pic but its still just a lighter.Also what is leisure center?
from article...
A man has been jailed for carrying a novelty cigarette lighter shaped like a gun.

The 37-year-old was told he would have been sent to prison for 15 months if he didn't pleaded guilty to a firearms offence over possessing a holiday souvenir.

White, who is considering an appeal against the length of the sentence, had expected just to be fined,

likk..
www.mirror.co.uk...

a reply to: switchqm8

The worlds gone mad!!!
Ridiculous!!
Boo!!

a reply to: switchqm8

As you can see our legal system is one of the stupidous in the world designed purely to grind down the minions and make them afraid of a gathering mountain of nonsensical laws.

No wonder he refused to plead guilty - had he done that he would have never got a job again and now, just for carrying a novelty he has gone to jail for not lying and of course, his life is ruined but, never fear the black carrion have got their man and sent a warning to everyone in the country Don't think you can buy and enjoy novelties if we regard them as dodgy in any way. Legal plea bargaining here is a lie and those who suggested he lie to the court should have been done also - but No the Carrion goes on to every higher clouds of dodge lawmaking and ujpkeeping and higher salaries.

New broom needed here and common sense also. Been missing for years in the british courts.

15 months? He should be glad he isn't in the states the cops here would have shot him for carrying it.

a reply to: Shiloh7

No wonder he refused to plead guilty - had he done that he would have never got a job again and now, just for carrying a novelty he has gone to jail for not lying and of course, his life is ruined

Did you read the article? The guy was already a convict and was on parole when he was caught with this. So his life was already ruined before this even happened. He wasn't the innocent person you are making him out to be.

At first glance yes this is insanity.
The man was already on bail for other offenses and he was at a leisure center when he was arrested, no doubt there would of been families etc.

If you were out with your family and you saw someone with what looked like a concealed weapon would you go ask or call the police?
We dont really have anything like the gun culture that exists in the states so when we see someone with one it causes an instant reaction, fight, flight or freeze if you will.
His sentence is seemingly harsh but I dont know what he was already on bail for IF it was violent or gang related then yeah I think his sentence was appropriate.

originally posted by: buster2010
15 months? He should be glad he isn't in the states the cops here would have shot him for carrying it.

Was about to say the same thing.

I read your cops shot some one for carring a hose pipe cause its head looked like a gun!

From the link

When he was caught with the lighter at the Playdrome Leisure Centre in Clydebank last October, he was on bail for another charge.

And when he appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week, he was brought from Perth Prison, where he is serving 15 months for another crime.

Career criminal scumbag, good on the judge i say

Yes he had a record but from what i understand he was not waving it around or trying rob someone or using it in a crime. Also how can you be charged with a firearm charge when it is not a firearm? OF course he has to be scum right what was his other charges? Just because a judge finds u guilty does not mean u really are the systems are corrupt everywhere.Lets not forget in the states how many people are wrongfully convicted and some got death sentences and died being innocent...

And a lot of times people plead out because they are afraid to fight the system and sit in jail until their trial or cant afford to post bail.If you never dealt with the system u would not really understand

15 months? He should be glad he isn't in the states the cops here would have shot him for carrying it.

a reply to: buster2010

lol, and what's sad is you're probably right! I wouldn't want his lawyer, if he couldn't get the guys charges dismissed. The manufacture of those lighters should include a warning sticker about possible imprisonment if used in public.

It seems the man may have been a career criminal type (depends on his priors and when they occurred) - but besides that; seeing as he is a 34 year old man who purchased this lighter I really have no sympathy...

It is just so strange thinking about the UK's gun laws. I live in the states (southern Colorado) - Hell anytime I go to the grocery store I see at least 2 people open carrying a Glock on their hip.

Literally any novelty store in this entire country sells lighters just like the one this man was arrested for, albeit it a little less detailed but still...I am not saying this is a good thing. I am not UK bashing or gun praising. It is just so striking to see the polar opposites.

I am curious. UK members help me out. Are pellet guns legal there? (like Airsoft guns) What about Paintball guns?

As long as it does not look like a handgun is it okay? I really want to know lol.

It'd be a damn shame if you guys cannot at least play some paintball or plink with a pellet gun.

I am wondering why he was carrying it around in the first place. Is there any chance that it being realistic is the reason he is carrying it?

What were the other charges he had before? Would any of them have been for mugging. If he used it in a way other than as a lighter or was suspected of doing so then I can understand where the judge was coming from.

Main question is why would he carry a lighter that looks like a gun in the first place.

I wonder if he even smokes.

a reply to: Grimpachi

That's certainly a good thought. I could see somebody using that lighter as a means of mugging especially in the UK.

Across the pond you'd be batsh** crazy to attempt to mug anybody with anything BUT a real firearm. But people do it. I've seen World's Dumbest haha. Usually those scenarios end with a pissed off store owner beating down the guy with a fake gun with a baseball bat.

The UK has had a long history of oppressing its citizens....I cant believe they would even fight for their country....

Depends what you do with it, just use it at home that's fine, wave it around town then it's a police matter.

Sounds like he was being immature making people belive it's real.

Theres laws about even realistic looking 'firearms'

from the home offices own guide to firearms

2.36 In determining whether an imitation firearm is to be considered a realistic imitation firearm, section 38(3)(a) of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 states that its size, shape and principal colour are to be taken into account. Section 38(3)(b) confirms that an imitation is to be regarded as distinguishable if its size, shape or principal colour is unrealistic for a real firearm. The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 (Realistic Imitation Firearms) Regulations 2007 specify a set of colours and dimensions in order to distinguish between imitation firearms and realistic imitation firearms. An imitation firearm with dimensions less than 38 mm in height and 70mm in length is to be regarded as unrealistic. An imitation firearm which is principally coloured bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright pink, bright purple, bright blue, or which is transparent should also be regarded as unrealistic.

2.37 An imitation firearm whose principal colour is not one of those listed in the Regulations does not automatically fail to be regarded as realistic, although it is more likely that that will be the case. In these circumstances, the general test of whether it is distinguishable from a real firearm, taking into account its size, colour etc. should be applied.

and for those who fancy some light reading on our firearms laws the full document is here

It doesn't matter about his prior convictions.

It just isn't a firearm, plain and simple. It's a cigarette lighter.

This is a foolish charge.

a reply to: switchqm8

Did they shoot his dog and assault him while yelling "stop resisting!!!"?

a reply to: stirling

The UK has had a long history of oppressing its citizens....I cant believe they would even fight for their country....

The people in the UK are no more 'oppressed' than the people of other 'western' countries, including the USA.
How typical of you to use this case to spout your usual anti-UK bollocks.

Not fight for their country?
You really are exceptionally ignorant of world history and of the people of the UK and their culture and heritage.

As for this specific case;
The lad is a complete knob - everyone knows that you can't walk around with replica guns like that, and why was he wanting to? Certainly not to light his cigarette up with.
Its not as if he's just a young kid doing something daft, he's 37 years old.....no excuses for being a dick.
Sure, the sentence is probably a bit stiff, but he won't serve much of it as it'll run concurrent with his current stretch.

And as has been said by others, if he'd been in the States or many other country's he'd probably be dead now.