Suffolk teenager sentenced for carrying BB gun in shopping centre
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 14:32 · Archive
A 17-year-old from Suffolk admitted possessing an imitation firearm at a Lowestoft shopping centre after reporting to police.
A 17-year-old from Suffolk appeared before a youth court at Suffolk Magistrates' Court after taking a black BB gun with a blue slide into The Britten Centre shopping centre in Lowestoft in October last year. A member of the public reported that a youth was threatening people with a gun, prompting police attendance in the area.
The teenager, supported in court by his mother and a social worker, admitted the charge of possessing an imitation firearm in public. The Crown Prosecution Service withdrew a more serious charge alleging he possessed the weapon with intent to cause members of the public to fear violence.
During the hearing, the teenager stood up and left the courtroom, saying he was too warm. He was sentenced on Thursday for the single remaining charge. The court heard he was living in care at the time of the offence. In his police interview, he said he had been carrying the gun because he intended to sell it to a cousin. His mother had spotted the BB gun during a video call and told the care home, though the weapon was not confiscated.
How it is being reported
- Teen caught with gun in town shopping centre walks out of courtA Suffolk teenager who took a BB gun into a Lowestoft shopping centre walked out of court after admitting to possessing an imitation firearm in public.Ipswich Star · 15 Oct, 14:00
- Teen caught with gun in town shopping centre walks out of courtA Suffolk teenager who took a BB gun into a Lowestoft shopping centre walked out of court after admitting to possessing an imitation firearm in public.East Anglian Daily Times · 15 Oct, 14:00
In this story: Suffolk Magistrates' Court · The Britten Centre · Lowestoft · Crown Prosecution Service
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem
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