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A MAN who had a fully charged "stun-gun torch" in his kitchen has been sent to jail.
Swansea Crown Court heard that when police searched Stephen Rees's house in Cwmllynfell after he had been arrested for possession of cocaine they found an empty box for a "Cheetah Delta Force high voltage flashlight" in a bedroom.
Brian Simpson, prosecuting, said the stun-gun itself — which was designed to look like a torch — was found on a worktop in the kitchen of the property.
When one of the officers picked it up to examine it, he discharged it by accident — though was unhurt.
In his subsequent police interview in July last year, Rees said he had owned the item for a couple of years and had bought it online for around £30.
Rees, of Bryn Awelon, Cwmllynfell, had previously pleaded guilty to possessing a disguised fireman when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
The court heard the 29-year-old had convictions for three previous offences including one for possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear from 2006 when he had pointed an air rifle at somebody.
Tim Evans, for Rees, said items such as stun-guns were widely available on the internet but members of the public were largely unaware of the seriousness with which the law treated their possession — the offence comes with a five year jail term.
The barrister said his client "effectively thought it was some sort of novelty" when be bought it, and "certainly did not appreciate it was a Taser per se".
He added that Rees faced the prospect of a jail sentence with "regret and trepidation".
The court heard there was no evidence the torch stun-gun had even been taken out of the house or used for unlawful purposes.
Judge Keith Thomas said that while courts had to have proper regard to the intentions of Parliament when it had passed the relevant legislation, it would not be right to pass a sentence that was "wrong and arbitrary" — he said he was satisfied there was exceptional circumstances in the case and jailed Rees for 32 months.
Rees had previously been fined £240 by Swansea Magistrates Court for the cocaine possession offence.
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