Thomas Kavanagh 'had stun gun disguised as torch'

Thomas Kavanagh had just returned from holiday when he was arrested at the airport on 12 January

An Irish national had a "10,000-volt" stun gun disguised as a torch in his kitchen, a court has heard.

The pink-coloured item was found during a search of Thomas Kavanagh's home in Staffordshire after his arrest at Birmingham Airport on 12 January, Stoke-on Trent Crown Court heard.

Mr Kavanagh said a relative brought the banned weapon back from a holiday and he had later taken it off his children.

The 51-year-old admits possession but denies having a disguised stun gun.

Jurors heard it was was discovered during a 13-hour search of Mr Kavanagh's home in Tamworth following his arrest earlier in the day in the international arrivals' hall at the airport.

Prosecuting barrister Simon Davis said: "It's pink, it's got 'police' written in capital letters on the handle and it's a Maglite-type appearance."

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In interview, the father-of-six told police he had taken the stun gun "off one of the kids when they were messing about with it and had thrown it on top of kitchen units", where the item was recovered, the court was told.

He said it had been in the house "the past 12 months" and had been used "frightening the grandparents" and there was "no other sinister explanation".

Mr Kavanagh, a car dealer, said two other similar items recovered from what was described in court by his barrister Alistair Webster QC as "a teenager's bedroom", had also been bought back from holiday by family members.

But he accepted they "should have been thrown out a long time ago".

The trial continues.