Dad bought stun gun at farming fair

Feb 26 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal

A MAN who bought an electric stun gun to use as a cattle prod has escaped being jailed.

Arthur Clarke said he bought the item at an agricultural fair to steer away cows from land at his home in Rickless Farm, High Spen, Rowlands Gill, Gateshead.

But officers arrested the father-of-two after discovering the weapon in a kitchen cupboard during a police raid on the property in October 2006.

Clarke, 48, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday.

Prosecuting, Christian Mills said: “The defendant was arrested and taken to a police station and interviewed and when asked about the electric stun gun he indicated that there was an item in his possession but to his knowledge it was a cattle prod and not an offensive weapon that he would use in such a manner.”

The court heard that Clarke, who has unrelated previous convictions, had bought the weapon at an agricultural fair at Corbridge, Northumberland, with the purpose of steering cattle away from the boundaries of his property.

Defending, Tony Davies said: “There is an element of him being duped, but he will have to accept this is a strict liability case to which he will have to be punished by the court.

“It’s a farm, it’s surrounded by rural countryside, there are other landowners who graze cattle very close to the perimeters of his property and that’s what he would have used it for.

“He is embarrassed to find himself before the court for this offence and accepts whatever punishment the court will offer.”

Clarke was sentenced to three months imprisonment suspended for 12 months, with a six-month community supervision order and ordered to pay £750 costs.

Sentencing, Mr Recorder Palmer said that possessing a stun gun was a “serious offence” and that a custodial sentence would normally have been passed. He said: “You have pleaded guilty on the basis, that has been mentioned, that you purchased this stun gun from a market, it was sold to you as a cattle prod.”

Afterwards Clarke told The Journal that officers had raided his home looking for drugs, none of which were discovered, and had instead seized fireworks and the stun gun.

He said: “They said that they were looking for drugs, there were no drugs, and then they went on to find the fireworks but I sell fireworks, I’m a trader.

“I would warn people not to be buying cattle prods from these markets. Hundreds of farmers have got them, they don’t realise they will be breaking the law.

“We bought it from a proper fair and it was in a box with diagrams and pictures.

“The police said they can’t find the box. I’m not happy because I’m getting costs but that’s the law, you have to abide by it.”