The consequences of being caught in possession of a firearm in Scotland were clearly demonstrated in a recent case reported by the Crown Office

The case in question involved 44-year-old Steven Wilkinson, who had been pulled over by police while driving his car. When police looked in his vehicle they found a Skorpion submachine pistol, together with a magazine and silencer.

The police had apparently gone to a property in East Kilbride on a matter unconnected to Wilkinson. However, while there they noticed a car driving away from the property, which was traced to Springburn in Glasgow. When officers got there Wilkinson got out the car, appearing agitated.

When asked if there was anything in the car that could hurt officers when they searched it, he reportedly replied: “Aye there’s a gun in the front passenger seat.”

Wilkinson appeared at Glasgow High Court where he was sentenced to six years imprisonment after earlier pleading guilty to five charges under the Firearms Act 1968.

“Possession of illegal firearms, particularly of this calibre, is extremely serious but thankfully rare in Scotland,” commented Procurator Fiscal for Homicide and Major Crime, Nicky Patrick. “Police and prosecutors are working together to do all in our power to prevent these crimes and to bring those who commit them to justice.”

Figures from the Scottish Government show that numbers of recorded crimes involving firearms have fallen by nearly three-quarters in ten years.

In 2015/16 firearms were used in 332 recorded crimes. In the same year, the number of crimes where a person was killed or injured by a firearm fell by over a quarter, from 48 in 2014/15 to 35.

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