Man fined for leaving his shotgun on coat hook

Saturday 02 October 2021

A man employed as a slaughterer has been fined £1,500 after hanging his shotgun on a coat hook and forgetting about it.

Police officers visited 36-year-old James Jenner’s house on 13 May on unrelated business. It was there they noticed that a number of items had been stacked in front of Jenner’s shotgun safe.

Anyone who wants to own a shotgun in Guernsey must have a certificate granted by Guernsey Police. One of the stipulations of that permit is for the weapon to be stored in a locked safe approved by the authorities.

After noticing Jenner’s seemingly unused safe, officers found a camouflage bag with one of Jenner’s three shotguns in it, alongside several unused shotgun shells.

Pictured: The case was heard in Guernsey's Magistrate's Court.

Jenner is a registered 12-bore shotgun owner and has been licenced since he was 17 for his work as a slaughterer.

All weapons and ammunition were seized and Jenner pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Advocate Chris Green argued in the island's Magistrate's Court that it had been a complete oversight on Jenner’s behalf. He’d got home from work and tea was ready, so Jenner simply hung up the shotgun and forgot about it.

Judge Graeme McKerrell said, by virtue of it being a deadly weapon, the incident need to be taken extremely seriously.

“You are given a certificate based on trust, trust that you can comply with the requirements,” he said.

Jenner was handed a £1,500.

Pictured top: Jenner is a registered 12-bore shotgun owner (photo for illustrative purposes).