Stun guns smuggler is spared jail over eBay ruse

Kevin Dennis, 46, kept the weapons in his bedroom at his home in Barnsley.

He was only caught when UK Border Agency Officers in London intercepted a package containing two K95 "high power" stun guns in mobile phone boxes together with charge leads and traced Dennis to his business address at a roofing company in Goole.

Dennis, of Cemetery Road, Hemingfield, Barnsley, admitted he had ordered the guns from America but claimed to be shocked when officers uncovered a further seven stun guns plus illegal pepper spray at his home, saying he liked collecting "unusual things".

But he avoided an immediate prison sentence at Hull Crown Court yesterday when Judge David Tremberg handed him an eight-month sentence suspended for 18 months.

Prosecuting, Claire Reed said the suspicious package was opened by officers at Mount Pleasant Sorting Depot on April 24 last year.

The UK Border Agency then executed a search warrant at the roofing company five days later.

She said: "On arrest he replied 'Is it about those two stun guns?'.

"When officers asked him if he had any further weapons at his home address he replied 'three stun guns in my bedroom wardrobe'."

Officers found five stun guns in a black bin liner under his bed, one next to the bed and one in the top drawer of a cupboard.

They were then confirmed as prohibited firearms – as was the pepper spray.

Ms Reed added: "During interview he admitted he had purchased two stun guns from eBay knowing they were stun guns.

"When officers informed him a total of seven further stun guns had been seized from his home address he claimed to be shocked and stated he did not realise he had that many.

"He said he never sold them or took them out of the house. He also said he was a collector of unusual things, and confirmed he had imported them all in from America on eBay.

"He maintained throughout his interviews that he had not researched the legality of the stun guns and thought it would be legal unless he took them out of his home."

However, last month Dennis pleaded guilty to nine charges of importing a stun gun and one of importing a pepper spray.

Ordering him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay 1,379 costs, the judge said: "This is quite an unusual case. There was no use of the weapons; they were purely for curiosity value.

"There is no evidence to suggest you had any other motive, but you are lucky not to be locked up. You had several very dangerous weapons in your home."

Dennis was made the subject of a curfew for 30 days between 8pm and 6am, and all the illegal items have been forfeited.

Malcolm Bragg, UK Border Agency's Criminal and Financial Assistant Director for Border Force South, said: "The UK Border Agency's controls and intelligence gathering techniques help prevent weapons being smuggled in the UK through ports, airports or in this case the postal system.

"The UK Border Agency is at the forefront of the fight to stop illegal weapons, drugs, other contraband and illegal immigrants entering the UK. Our officers work around the clock to keep them out of the country."

Banned weapons offered on internet

In the US they are marketed as "powerful, non lethal and effective" self-defence products.

A cursory look at the internet throws up dozens of sites offering to deliver guns, no questions asked, including a 4.5m volt stun gun, said to be able "to scare most attackers just by the sound of it". On the other end of the scale a 100,000 volt gun will set you back just $22 (13). Yet the weapons are banned in the UK and in theory anyone possessing a gun could be jailed for up to 10 years.

Yesterday Malcolm Bragg, from the UK Border Agency, said: "Attempting to possess and smuggle in prohibited weapons is a serious offence and ignorance of the law is no excuse."