Two men were today jailed for five years after they fired off handguns in an Aberdeenshire village.
Officers turned up at Richard Robinson’s home in Crimond on a Sunday evening after gunshots were heard at the address.
Robinson, 39, and Callum Williamson were in the Logie Road cottage and a gift bag was seen lying on the living room floor.
In it was bullets and an antique Colt derringer.
Robinson and Williamson, 22, who lived at a nearby house in Logie Road, were arrested and officers found a second gun and further ammunition in a shoebox behind a sofa in the living room.
The shoebox contained 43 cartridges, six of which had been fired. A further spent round was found on a patio at the rear of the cottage.
Today the pair appeared at the High Court in Aberdeen for sentencing and were told that a lengthy jail term was inevitable.
Judge Frank Mulholland told the men that “there are strict laws in this country prohibiting the possession of firearms,” adding that “firearms are highly regulated for good reason”.
“Anyone who breaches firearms laws, as you both have done, can expect lengthy sentences of imprisonment,” the judge said.
“Not only did you possess these illegal firearms, but you discharged them recklessly in a public wood – it could easily have harmed a member of the public.”
Advocate depute Craig Murray previously told the High Court in Edinburgh: “At Fraserburgh police office at about 22.00 hours the accused Robinson said that when the police arrived he had hidden a Colt 45 under the sofa of the living room and that it was loaded because he had been shooting it and had been shooting guns that day.”
Robinson also stated that above or on the radiator in the living room there would be a bullet hole. ”
That bullet hole was found by police officers,” the prosecutor added.
Fired bullet heads were found in the living room and a bedroom at the property.
Derringer handgun kept as a ‘curiosity or ornament’
The court heard that gunshot residue (GSR) was found on the clothing of both Robinson and Williamson and Mr Murray said: “The GSR found on each of the accused’s clothing came from discharging firearms at the scene.”
Robinson’s DNA was found on the shoebox containing a Colt 1911 pistol and ammunition and DNA and fingerprints from Williamson were discovered on the gift bag containing the American-made Derringer.
Mr Murray said the derringer could be classified as an “antique firearm” and therefore exempt from firearm certificate control if it was kept as a “curiosity or ornament”.
But the prosecutor added: “It was not being held for those purposes at the time of the offences.”
It was in good condition and in working order and was a prohibited weapon. The Colt pistol was also a prohibited weapon.
‘Lack of awareness as to the seriousness of the offence’
Williamson, 22, and Robinson, 39, both admitted recklessly discharging a firearm, the Colt 1911 pistol, at Logie Road, Crimond, on October 1 last year within the address and into a wooded area at the rear of the property to the danger of the public.
Williamson also admitted breaching the firearms act by possessing a prohibited weapon, the derringer.
Robinson pleaded guilty to breaching the legislation by possessing the prohibited Colt pistol and ammunition.
Williamson’s defence advocate, Drew McKenzie, told the court that his client was only 21 years old when he committed this offence.
“He has some previous convictions, but he has never served a custodial sentence,” Mr McKenzie said.
“I recognise that within the [background] report there appears to be lack of awareness as to the seriousness of the offence, but, in my respectful submission, that’s probably a reflection of his immaturity, his age and possibly the lack of parental support.
“He acknowledges a drug and alcohol problem, but it seems to me that hopefully with increasing maturity and with the inevitable custodial sentence that might well help him moving forward.”
Robinson needs to ‘get to grips’ with drug and alcohol addiction
Mr McKenzie added that due to these factors, he considered that the statutory minimum sentence of five years “would be appropriate” in relation to his client.
Neil Shand, defence advocate for Robinson, stated that a background report into his client had shown that he has “levels of insight of some significance” and that the “weapons came to him, rather than him seeking them out”.
The solicitor added that Robinson would have to “get to grips” with his drug and alcohol addiction upon his release from prison as it “seems to be at the heart much of the offending behaviour on his record”.
Mr Shand also pointed to the statutory minimum sentence and said his client “had made a series of bad decisions and does require to conquer his demons”.