A Tayside man is facing a five-year prison sentence after being found with “police” stun guns at his home.
Thomas Scott bought the weapons, disguised as torches, from an online shop and told police he did not know they were illegal.
The 54-year-old from Carnoustie is now facing a minimum prison sentence of five years after pleading guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to possessing the firearms.
Scott’s solicitor revealed how his client had bought the stun guns after believing he was under threat.
Police tipped-off
The court heard police searched his home after a tip-off.
“They traced the accused with his mother and two nephews,” fiscal depute Kirsten Letford said.
“They began to give him advice on their legality. The accused immediately started to panic and said he did not know it was illegal and had purchased them from what he believed to be a legitimate website.
“A search of his property found three stun guns disguised as torches in his bedroom.”
Forensic scientists analysed the weapons and deemed them to be battery-operated stun guns capable of emitting a high-powered electric charge and incapacitating someone.
Mrs Letford revealed how each stun gun was marked with the word “police” and was likely to be of Asian origin.
Scott, of Primrose Street, Carnoustie, admitted having three stun guns disguised as torches on December 10 2017.
The purchase of such weapons carries with it a mandatory minimum prison term, which can be reduced with an early guilty plea.
In September, Kirriemuir joiner Christopher Nicol was jailed for 40 months for having stun gun devices disguised as torches.
Aberdeen man Simon Warren pled guilty to having a stun gun torch and a pink lipstick stun gun and was jailed for five years in December.
‘At risk of home invasion’
John Boyle, defending Scott, said his client had an extensive background of mental health issues, including paranoid schizophrenia.
He told Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown: “Paranoid delusions led him to believe he was at risk of home invasion and purchased these items to protect himself. He had no intention of using them.
“His comments about not knowing it to be illegal was correct from his point of view. He accepts ignorance is no excuse and the website was legitimate.”
Sheriff Martin-Brown deferred sentence on Scott until April for reports to be prepared.
His bail order was allowed to continue.
