sadly I saw this in the Telegraph today

[Gil Boyd]

Peter,
You know my views....................this is absolutely scandalous, shame there's not £2.2 to share amongst you guys and YOUR families for the untold stress this has caused!!
As ex Police Officers it shows us the weak points quite clearly in the system, and the Forces like the MOD who need a closer review by the HMI

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[Roy W]

Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice springs to mind............................................so meone is after their pound of flesh and has just discovered that 'all that glisters, is not gold' !

[Peter Laidler]

The real irony is that only yesterday morning on Radio 4, the MoD Finance Committee and CGS, Lord Guthrie were lambasting the lack of funds available to the MoD. Yes....., real irony. And don't think that they will stop here. Others have been 'advised' It is known that they need a conviction here to set a precedence and will then set about the other owners that they in their sights

[mrclark303]

We can but imagine the stress you have been under this past few years Peter.

I sincerely hope that common sense is applied by someone regarding any possible re-trial ... It doesn't serve the public interest in any way whatsoever.

God save us from petty minded, pen pushing, vindictive civil bloody servants!

[Peter Laidler]

Very interesting question from a UK forumer who's name conveniently/at his request escapes me was 'were there any snakes in the grass' or '....save my own skin at any cost' surprises at the hearing? Yes...., two. A total fraudster who simply stated what he was told to say and the other, who simply stated what he was told to say. That is until they were recalled and before being heard and grilled for a second time, were asked whether they understood the meanings - and implications - of PERJURY.

That has a sobering effect on the inner consciousness as I am lead to understand

[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

[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!

[boltaction]

Unfortunately in this day and age of scandal sheet press and shoddy journalism, it seems that "innocent until proven guilty" is a thing of the past. At least for firearms charges. It is the same here in Canada. The papers are quick to publish photos and salacious stories, but rarely seem to publish retractions or apologies once proven wrong. There should be at LEAST as much front page press and TV news time given to announcements that the charges were inappropriate as there was to the news of the arrests to begin with.

[Mk VII]

In the Mick Shepherd case the BBC has already recorded the police's 'We are pleased that this man has been found guilty' interview in advance and accidentally broadcast the wrong one after he was acquitted.