Man fined for failing to keep guns secure

A man who breached the terms of his firearms certificate after shooting seals was fined at Lerwick Sheriff Court today.

Matthew Jamieson, 29, of Venndal, Voe, pleaded guilty to having two rifles in insecure cases in a bedroom, contrary to the conditions of his certificate, issued in March, which states that firearms should be stored securely.

Jamieson pleaded not guilty to two charges of having excess amounts of ammunition and these pleas were accepted.

The court heard that police were at Jamieson’s house for a routine inquiry and found the two rifles.

Defence agent Eric Baijal said that Jamieson apologised for the breach. Mr Baijal said his client had grown up on a farm and still uses a shotgun on his father’s farm. He also had a contract for culling seals round salmon farms and had been doing this activity that day, but had not put the guns away.

Mr Baijal said Jamieson had “not been thinking straight” because of financial and personal problems which had resulted in depression. On the day of the offence Jamieson had come back from work to hear his sister had given birth, and was being encouraged to visit.

The implications of the offence when Jamieson re-applies for a firearms certificate could be worse than anything the court could impose, the solicitor said.

Sheriff Philip Mann fined Jamieson £300.