Accused: Stun-gun 'for self defence'
A MAN stopped by police had a stun-gun in his flat 13 times more powerful than a police Taser, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
When officers searched Stuart Mitchell's flat in Albert Road, Devonport, they found the weapon on a shelf.
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It was a Cheetah 650K, capable of generating 650,000 volts across the electrodes. A police Taser generates 50,000 volts, but packs a bigger punch because the current is continuous, while the stun gun emits a very brief shock.
Mitchell told police he had previously been assaulted and had bought the gun in Florida for 40 dollars, being assured it was legal in the UK.
He tested it on his own leg, finding the shock was painful but did not knock him out or over.
He kept it in his flat for protection, but had never used it.
The court heard that Mitchell and a near-neighbour had been spotted by police walking up their road carrying a large lampshade and a bulb.
They admitted they were for cultivating plants.
Their flats were searched and 20g of cannabis leaves found in Mitchell's home.
His neighbour was subsequently sentenced on June 17 for cannabis cultivation and stealing electricity, and was given a community sentence with 240 hours of unpaid work.
Ali Rafati, for Mitchell, said his client was 30 and had never been in trouble with the law before.
He had moved to Devonport from a better area of the city following a relationship break-up, and had been on anti-depressants.
In the flat, he felt threatened and vulnerable, he said.
His partner had a 10-month-old baby he treated as his own, and they were expecting a baby of their own.
The judge, Recorder Paul Dunkels, said possession of a weapon was a serious matter, but he accepted Mitchell's account.
He gave him credit for his guilty pleas and previous good character.
He sentenced Mitchell to a total of 200 hours of unpaid community work and ordered the gun, drugs and growing equipment to be destroyed.
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by emerald, plymouth
Monday, July 13 2009, 3:40PM
“Just proves a point I made some time ago - the crims can get these tasers easily on the Internet!! However, it the Police dare to introduce tasers into their defence system they're all called granny murderers!!! Puhlease!! Unless you have heart problems or serious health problems most people are just stunned by the tasers!! How many crims fighting off cops after legging it d'you reckon have serious heart problems hm?! No don't come back with a load of anti-taser for the police rubbish!! Hell, just look at some of the footage from these real cop shows both US and UK - I saw one guy still refusing to give up and fighting after being tasered 3 times!!!
These are not safe for the general public to use, but they get them anyway!! Soon it'll be tasers at dawn(?!) - I agree with the cops having them but these much higher strength ones shouldn't be allowed for the crims to get their hands on!! As for the UK having the best customs in the world I have to disagree - the Australian customs seem to be the stongest at stopping everything, even people!!!”
by Pikey Mike, Pikey yard
Monday, July 06 2009, 4:05PM
“Kin I git won?”
by Mick, Barbican
Sunday, July 05 2009, 11:18PM
“M quote- "Dispite what you and your fellow goosesteppers think, there are other ways of dealing with people that don't involve camps of some sort!!!"
The old Borstal institutions were sort of 'camps' and they gave a lot of youths a sense of self-worth and fatherly encouragement which they didn't get from their sloppy parents, sounds okay to me..:)”
by Mick, Barbican
Sunday, July 05 2009, 11:15PM
“Quote- "It was capable of generating 650,000 volts across the electrodes. Mitchell told police He tested it on his leg, finding the shock was painful but did not knock him out or over"
Yeah I think the electrodes are only a couple of inches apart, so the current simply travels through the skin from one to the other, waste of money if you ask me”
by Kev, Plymouth
Sunday, July 05 2009, 4:46PM
“Perhaps the authorities should be asking the question, how the hell did he get it into the UK from America? After all we have the best custom checks in the world,,,, dont we??”