'Gun cavalier' sent to jail (From Witney Gazette)

'Gun cavalier' sent to jail

2:23pm Friday 24th February 2006 in Witney By Maddy Biddulph

A MAN described as having a cavalier attitude to guns, who left weapons lying around his house, was jailed for four weeks.

Jeffrey Heritage was told by District Judge Brian Loosley, at Oxford Magistrates' Court, he wanted to send a warning to other gun users following the Dunblane and Hungerford massacres.

Heritage, 53, had denied failing to comply with conditions of his firearms licence by not securely storing his weapons, and possessing ammunition without a certificate.

Heritage, who often used guns to shoot vermin, was found guilty on all charges at an earlier hearing at Banbury Magistrates' Court.

District Judge Loosley said: "Because of the problems we had at Hungerford and Dunblane, Parliament rightly responded to that by changing legislation for firearms, and increased the penalties for firearms offences, and the courts have to follow suit.

"This sends out a message to you and other people in the area who may want to take the same cavalier approach to guns."

"Because of the problems we had at Hungerford and Dunblane, Parliament rightly responded to that by changing legislation for firearms, and increased the penalties for firearms offences, and the courts have to follow suit."

District Judge Brian Loosley

Police raided Heritage's home, in Spencer Avenue, in Yarnton, on May 9, 2005.

Judge Loosley said they had found three guns propped against the front door, two by the bedroom door, and one lying beside his bed.

They also found 70 rounds of assorted ammunition, including some so powerful it could kill an elephant.

Lucy Tapper, defending, said Heritage was a man of good character, who was often bed-ridden because of his arthritis.

She said: "This is a man who has never been in trouble before. There is no suggestion he used the guns for anything other than a lawful purpose.

"Guns are a pastime he has grown up with."

Judge Loosley said Heritage had placed the public at risk by leaving the guns in his house. where someone could steal them and use them for crime.

He added: "There could have been serious consequences."

Heritage was sentenced to 28 days for each offence, to run concurrently, and the judge ordered the guns to be confiscated.

After the hearing, the head of the police firearms licensing department said it was an appropriate sentence despite being the first time in his experience that anyone had been jailed for such offences.

Chris Sambrook said: "It doesn't surprise me given the changing nature of firearms and the different developing attitude of the public to guns.

"Getting into bad habits isn't acceptable these are serious offences."

Mr Sambrook added that gun owners were responsible for safely securing their weapons, 'or they should expect the weight of the law on them'.