PC Garnett must have been born in Spain

Following the discovery that Spanish authorities are teaching people to be wankers, comes the realisation that we don't need that sort of training here at home. We have enough of them already. Take PC Garnett of Reigate nick. He has no doubt passed the course cum laude. I hand you over to the Surrey Advertiser, I do so in full so you can appreciate the full horror of the story, and how much of an onanist PC Garnett, and his backers are.

"A former soldier who handed a discarded shotgun in to police faces at least five years imprisonment for "doing his duty".

Paul Clarke, 27, was found guilty of possessing a firearm at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday – after finding the gun and handing it personally to police officers on March 20 this year.

The jury took 20 minutes to make its conviction, and Mr Clarke now faces a minimum of five year's imprisonment for handing in the weapon.

In a statement read out in court, Mr Clarke said: "I didn't think for one moment I
would be arrested. "I thought it was my duty to hand it in and get it off the
streets."

The court heard how Mr Clarke was on the balcony of his home in Nailsworth Crescent, Merstham, when he spotted a black bin liner at the bottom of his garden.

In his statement, he said: "I took it indoors and inside found a shorn-off shotgun and two cartridges.
"I didn't know what to do, so the next morning I rang the Chief Superintendent, Adrian Harper, and asked if I could pop in and see him.

"At the police station, I took the gun out of the bag and placed it on the table so it was pointing towards the wall."

Mr Clarke was then arrested immediately for possession of a firearm at
Reigate police station, and taken to the cells.

Defending, Lionel Blackman told the jury Mr Clarke's garden backs onto a public green field, and his garden wall is significantly lower than his neighbours. He also showed jurors a leaflet printed by Surrey Police explaining to citizens what they can do at a police station, which included "reporting found firearms".

Quizzing officer Garnett, who arrested Mr Clarke, he asked: "Are you aware of any notice issued by Surrey Police, or any publicity given to, telling citizens that if they find a firearm the only thing they should do is not touch it, report it by telephone,
and not take it into a police station?"

To which, Mr Garnett replied: "No, I don't believe so."

Prosecuting, Brian Stalk, explained to the jury that possession of a firearm was a "strict liability" charge – therefore Mr Clarke's allegedly honest intent was irrelevant.

Just by having the gun in his possession he was guilty of the charge, and has no defence in law against it, he added.

But despite this, Mr Blackman urged members of the jury to consider how they would respond if they found a gun.

He said: "This is a very small case with a very big principle. You could be walking to a railway station on the way to work and find a firearm in a bin in the park.

"Is it unreasonable to take it to the police station?"

Paul Clarke will be sentenced on December 11.

Judge Christopher Critchlow said: "This is an unusual case, but in law there is no dispute that Mr Clarke has no defence to this charge.

"The intention of anybody possessing a firearm is irrelevant"

Where to start?
Well obviously to arrest him was stupid, maybe PC Garnett might have considered saying to Mr Clarke something along the lines of, say,
"Thanks for bringing this in, best check it for fingerprints and the like, it might well have been used by local nere-do-wells and could lead us to the arrest of a criminal hoodlum or two. I joined the police to protect public spirited chaps like you from the ruffians who previously owned this piece".
Then the Judge might have advised the jury that though the law was strict they, the jury, were in their rights as an English jury to overturn a stupid law. So might his defence council for that matter. Because if they cannot what is the point of them?

Then the jury itself might have had some gumption.

Come on, the good people of Guildford, Reigate and Merstham, get down to Guildford High Court on December 11th and stop this travesty of justice taking place. Mr Clarke could have used this gun in a robbery and he would almost get less time.

HT Dick Puddlecote