A LANDLADY discovered a gun in a guest’s hotel room while she was carrying out a routine clean.

The bulldog revolver was found in a room at The George Hotel in High Street North, Poole, which was being used by Thomas David Brown.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard Brown heard Brown’s landlady located the firearm and called police on the afternoon of October 20.

Judge Stephen Climie said: “It was a weapon which had been in the room that you were renting at the time.

“It was discovered by the landlady during a perfectly ordinary cleaning exercise.

“It must no doubt have been a terrifying experience.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Brown was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment having previously pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of a firearm having previously been convicted of crime.

Prosecuting, Mark Ashley said the firing pin appeared to be intact and the barrel was not blocked, so officers at the scene believed it was a functional weapon.

The court heard the revolver was deemed a prohibited weapon as far as the legislation was concerned and therefore it attracted a minimum term of five years’ imprisonment.

Bournemouth Echo:

Brown was arrested when he returned to the hotel later on October 20.

He made no comment in interview other than to say he did not know what type of firearm it was and that he had lived in the hotel for six or seven months.

The 25-year-old defendant, of no fixed abode, had a previous conviction for possession of an imitation firearm.

Mitigating, Mark Florida-James said Brown presented to him as a “very pleasant young man to deal with”.

The defendant was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of eight and went on to have issues with alcohol and drugs as a teenager and young adult.

Mr Florida-James said Brown wanted to use his time appropriately to address his problems while in custody.

Bournemouth Echo:

In a statement after the hearing, DI Shaun Inkpen, of Bournemouth CID, said: “We take all reports of offences involving firearms extremely seriously. Through the swift response by both patrol and firearms officers on Thursday 20 October 2022, we were able to remove a potentially lethal weapon from the streets.

“We also quickly detained the man responsible for possessing this weapon in order that he could be brought before the court and face the consequences of his actions.

“I hope this case sends a clear message that we will swiftly act upon any information relating to a firearm and deal robustly with anyone found in possession of such a prohibited weapon. I would urge anyone with information in respect of this type of criminality to please report it to us immediately.”

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