Gun importer should find new hobby, says judge

Gavin Dawes purchased a blank firing pistol in Spain

A judge has told a man who tried to import prohibited firearms into the UK that he is "too long in the tooth to be playing cowboys and Indians".

Gavin Dawes, from Nottinghamshire, admitted to trying to import two blank firing guns which were seized by border officers.

The 44-year-old also admitted to listing two guns for sale online as well as possessing CS gas, knuckle dusters and a police baton.

He was given a community order.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he had no "criminal intent" when buying the weapons.

The court was told Dawes, from East Leake, purchased a 9mm blank firing Sig Sauer gun from Spain which was seized by border staff at Gatwick Airport.

Investigation National Crime Agency (NCA) officers found Dawes had also attempted to import an Ekol Viper front-venting blank firearm and 100 rounds of ammunition via Birmingham Airport in May 2020.

These were again intercepted by Border Force.

The gun was picked up by Border Force when entering the UK

Dawes also offered two front-venting blank firearms, a Bruni P4 and an Ekol Viper, for sale online to a man who was arrested by Essex Police in July last year.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to import a prohibited firearm, selling a prohibited firearm, possessing a weapon that can discharge CS gas and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon at a hearing in July.

NCA branch commander Mick Pope said: "Although the guns Dawes imported could only fire blanks, they are illegal in the UK as they can easily be converted to fire live ammunition.

"The weapons he supplied could have ended up in the hands of criminals, including drug traffickers, who use them to instil fear, inflict violence and in some cases, to kill."

Also found at Dawes's home was a cache of other prohibited weapons, including CS spray, a retractable baton with the word 'police' written on it and a knuckle duster.

A fake Nottinghamshire Police warrant card was also found in a vehicle he had access to.

A baton was found alongside CS spray and a knuckle duster

Sentencing Dawes, his honour Judge Neil Rafferty KC told him to "find a new hobby" but added that his actions did not have any "criminal intent".

"I can't imagine why a grown man would want to own an imitation firearm," he said.

"You are too long in the tooth to be playing cowboys and Indians."

Dawes was sentenced to a two-year community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days.

Judge Rafferty told him "go away and don't come back".