Man had rifle in Ayr industrial estate

Mar 6 2009

A MAN walked through an industrial estate with an air rifle visible for worried members of the public to see.

And a sheriff blasted his stupidity, saying that he could have caused chaos.

Mark Rogerson was seen walking through Whitefield Drive, at the Heathfield Industrial Estate with an air rifle and ammunition in the middle of the afternoon.

Ayr Sheriff Court heard this week that the gun was not loaded.

Rogerson would not have been breaking the law if he had the rifle covered up on August 21 last year.

Defence lawyer Peter Lockhart explained that Rogerson, 39, appreciated it should have been covered and that he realised the seriousness of breaching the regulations.

Deferring sentence for six months for Rogerson to be of good behaviour, Sheriff Jack McGowan said: “Nowadays, in a situation like this you could have found yourself facing an armed tactical unit and there could have been horrendous consequences.

“However, I’m prepared to give you a chance.”