A Newcastle man has been charged with possession of an imitation firearm after carrying a toy handgun in the city for a late night prank.
It is an offence under section 19 of the Firearms Act 1968 for a person to have an imitation firearm in their possession in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. The maximum penalty for the offence is 6 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction, 12 months' custody for conviction on indictment.
Section 57(4) of the Act defines an imitation firearm as: "any thing which has the appearance of being a firearm (other than such a weapon as is mentioned in section 5(1)(b) of this Act), whether or not it is capable of discharging any shot, bullet or other missile."
The 21-year-old joker was reported to the police by concerned members of the public, who noticed him carrying the realistic looking toy beside West Jesmond Metro station at around 11 pm.
Police officers arrived and quickly identified and apprehended the man, who was sporting a pink balaclava and carrying the replica Glock pistol by his side.
The imitation seized by Northumbria Police is shown against a genuine Glock pistol in the image below. At first glance they appear very similar to the untrained eye.
The man told officers that he had been posing for photographs for use on social media to prank his friends. Officers failed to see the funny side and promptly arrested him.
Inspector Anita Morgan, of Northumbria Police, said: "Our officers couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the man carrying the gun and acted quickly to confront him.
"He explained the gun was a toy and he was carrying it for a prank but that is not an acceptable excuse.
"We still had to go through the same precautions as if it were a real firearm and so it can be a drain on police resources.
"People need to think about the consequences of this type of behaviour and the impact it can have on the wider community.
"Our message is pretty clear, if you are found to be carrying out an imitation firearm then you face being arrested and put before the court."
The as yet unnamed 21-year-old has been charged to appear at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 5th February 2020.
Given the circumstances it is likely the case will reach completion at the first hearing. We will endeavour to report the outcome then.
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