sadly I saw this in the Telegraph today

[skiprat]

In a very recent case in the south east MOD plod/CPS tried to go ahead without entering ANY evidence!!!! (hope to tell a story to a easily swayed jury) the case was about deactivated weapons! That the proof house had inspected in 2017 and passed as legally deactivated,
Thankfully the judge saw through it and found the person not guilty (after 2 years)
Looks like MOD plod choosing what they want to believe yet again
If only someone would look at all the cases together......and see a pattern,

Good luck Peter

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[Gil Boyd]

I have many friends who I got to know really well in CPS as a Police Officer.

They will all say, firearms law is a speciality and there are not many within CPS who take on trials involving any form of weaponry including deactivations., because it is so complex, and that extends to Barristers as well. Many go sick to avoid them!!!!

Many are so busy and swamped with files anyway, that they only get to see relevant papers a day of two before the trial, so can only read off the charges made against individuals at best, and hope the preparation teams in both the CPS and MOD in this case have it "banged to rights" and a clear cut trial.

The costs associated with a Magistrates hearing are high, but at Crown Court, the figures go through the roof, as other trials are put back and the list in the calender gets ever longer!! So for instance a 3 week trial would cost the tax payer at least £2 Million.

It is as clear as the nose on your face, that this trial has been terribly mis handled, and also clear that the evidence, for a senior person at CPS to call a trial in the first place, was just not there.
You can be assurred that there will be a lot of recrimination after the trial and onward as they look to pay the bills and return rightfully owned property.

The saddest thing in all of this is the PRESS!. They publish names and go out of their way to get photos of those involved and publish what they thought was a "done deal". What they then don't do, is at the end of the trial publish what the findings were in the same vigour.

It really pee's me off. The stress this has caused to all concerned and their respective families will linger for a long time, but encouraging to see the local press report the stories end accurately....................shame on the national tabloids yet again!