Ammunition found at a man’s address – Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel, November 2019
On 7 November 2019, a search of the home of the then Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridge and Peterborough was carried out by Cambridgeshire Constabulary police officers.
During the search, a “small box containing various size spent and live ammunition” was seized from a locked cabinet in one of the rooms.
The man was a shotgun certificate holder authorised to possess shotguns. The ammunition was examined and classified by a forensic scientist specialising in the forensic examination of firearms as four bulleted cartridges that constitute ‘ammunition’ as defined in Section 57(2) of the Firearms Act 1968, and are subject to the requirements of Section 1 of this Act (a firearm certificate is required for their possession).
The bulleted cartridges are not listed on the man’s shotgun certificate and are not suitable for use in the three 12 bore shotguns listed on his certificate.
In a criminal interview with the IOPC on 31 January 2020, the man explained he had a shotgun certificate since the age of 15. Between 1990 and 1993, he regularly attended a gun club where he shot clay pigeons and skeet with a shotgun. He would then go to the pistol range in the evening to shoot targets.
According to the man, it was not uncommon that ammunition and unspent cartridges would be left in the shooting vest he wore. It was also not unusual to take ammunition home. Usually when he got home, he would put the ammunition to the side to take back the next week.
The man confirmed he would have bought and paid for the ammunition in the early 1990s and that they would have been bought at the counter. The man confirmed that no other person in his household held a shotgun or firearms certificate.
The man said he did not realise that he had live ammunition at his address and that if he had come across them, he would have immediately handed them to the force armoury or nearest police station.
On the evidence gathered, we decided that there was an indication that a criminal offence may have been committed. We referred the evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service who decided to take no further action.