Prison spell for having a stun gun

A man who received a stun gun – disguised as a mobile phone – as a holiday gift from his ex-girlfriend has been jailed for 21 months.

Christopher Steven Loveridge, told Wolverhampton Crown Court the mobile phone stun gun was a gift from his ex-girlfriend who had brought it back from Thailand for him.

The 25-year-old said it was only when police raided his home in Spencer Road, Coseley on November 11 looking for the high voltage device that he realised that it was illegal.

Mr Howard Searle prosecuting, told the court Loveridge had immediately retrieved the device which he had kept inside a coat at the top of a wardrobe and handed it to police.

Mr Searle said: "It had a button and toggle switch to be operated, and it produced a very high voltage, which would cause harm."

Loveridge gave evidence in court and said he had been given the device in a gift box by his ex-girlfriend.

He said: "At the beginning I just thought it was a torch. It was given to me as a novelty, a joke. I didn't use it."

Loveridge told the court it was only later that he was told it would give an electric shock, and even then he did not realise it was dangerous. He told the court he had put it away at the top of his wardrobe and not looked at it again.

Loveridge had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon.

Mr Patrick Currie, defending, asked the judge to view this case as an exception and not sentence Loveridge to the statutory five year jail sentence for the offence. He highlighted that the weapon had not been used, that it had not been taken into a public place, he did not know it was illegal and that Loveridge had not bought the item himself.

Judge John Warner said it was an exception.

However, he told Loveridge: "I am satisfied you knew when you received it that it was some kind of electric zapper device, and I believe you knew that if used it would have some adverse effect."

He jailed Loveridge for 21 months.