‘Absent-minded’ Rainworth man should have done more to dispose of illegal weapons

Police seized a can of pepper spray, a knuckleduster, two telescopic truncheons and a butterfly knife, when they executed a search warrant at Alex Wheat's home on December 1.

They also found a number of items that weren't deemed to be illegal unless taken out of his house, the court was told.

Wheat told police he had collected some of them since he was a child and wasn't aware the law surrounding some weapons has changed.

Chris Perry, mitigating, said Wheat, who has no previous convictions, accumulated them over the years.

He felt uncomfortable having the weapons in the house where his daughter is present, so he put them on top of a wardrobe.

He said Wheat had previously contacted police about disposing of the weapons properly and they advised him to wrap them up and put them in the bin.

Mr Perry explained Wheat’s lodger brought the pepper spray back from Germany where it is legal for personal protection.

“He is naive and absent minded man who should have done a bit more to dispose of them properly,” he said.

Wheat, 34, of North Avenue, admitted six counts of possessing offensive weapons in a private place when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Tuesday.

He was fined £500 and ordered to pay a £200 surcharge and £85 court costs.

The forfeiture and destruction of the weapons was also ordered.