Advice for a friend please

ELIMINATOR

Active Member
I have a friend who has his own land, he has had his licence for years and a couple of firearms for fox / vermin on his land.
A couple of weeks ago, he told his wife he was going fishing for a few days and asked if she wanted to come along as he was also going to visit some old friends, as he had not been outside the house for months, but his wife said no, you go and enjoy yourself.

so after a few days he had not bothered to phone home as he lost his mobile on the first night, the family got a bit worried and phoned the police to see if he has fell in a river or something, the police came out and removed his guns and licence and took them to the police station for safe keeping.(they did not give a receipt or any paperwork to say they had took them)

The following day my friend returned home to find his guns missing (and an ear bashing from the wife) and found out that when the police asked was he on medication, she told them yes he was on tablets for diabetes and for depression.

When he phoned the police to ask for his guns back they say no.

His doctor has said that there is no risk and that the tablets were to get him up and out the house more and he had been on them for a while with no ill affects.

My friend spoke to the police again and they said no, we have revoked your licence now and cannot have your guns back.

So, the poor guy has done nothing wrong other than not phone home, the the cops have in affect stolen his guns and refuse to give them back.

He has not committed any offences, nor is he a threat to himself or anyone else, so what can he do to get his guns returned as he needs them to protect his livestock ?

Any advice would be great please.
 
Is your friend a member of BASC?

they have a legal department that deals with this sort of thing
 
This has to be a bogus thread.
Your friend wasn't there but they managed to gain access to his guns? This would mean they either weren't secure or somebody else gave them the keys. Either one wrong.
He didn't tell the firearms dept he was on medication for depression. Wrong
The police can't just seize your firearms without the license holders compliance. That is unless they ripped the safe off the wall.
It is highly unlikely he will get his license back.
 
Have to agree teyhan, it'll be interesting to see how your friend gets on Eliminator.
keep us posted with his progress !

Atb, Buck.
 
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This has to be a bogus thread.
Your friend wasn't there but they managed to gain access to his guns? This would mean they either weren't secure or somebody else gave them the keys. Either one wrong.
He didn't tell the firearms dept he was on medication for depression. Wrong
The police can't just seize your firearms without the license holders compliance. That is unless they ripped the safe off the wall.
It is highly unlikely he will get his license back.

There has to be more to this story; Teyhan has pointed out the likely reasons.
 
This has to be a bogus thread.
Your friend wasn't there but they managed to gain access to his guns? This would mean they either weren't secure or somebody else gave them the keys. Either one wrong.
He didn't tell the firearms dept he was on medication for depression. Wrong
The police can't just seize your firearms without the license holders compliance. That is unless they ripped the safe off the wall.
It is highly unlikely he will get his license back.
Yep, some facts are missing from this story
 
This has to be a bogus thread.
Your friend wasn't there but they managed to gain access to his guns? This would mean they either weren't secure or somebody else gave them the keys. Either one wrong.
He didn't tell the firearms dept he was on medication for depression. Wrong
The police can't just seize your firearms without the license holders compliance. That is unless they ripped the safe off the wall.
It is highly unlikely he will get his license back.

Offence he has committed is letting someone know where keys are for safe,Surprised he hasn't had slap on wrist from firearms department
 
Teyhan i agree that there is more to this story then meets the eye but the OPs friend is under no obligation to inform his licensing department that he is on medication for depression.

Ian.
 
Teyhan i agree that there is more to this story then meets the eye but the OPs friend is under no obligation to inform his licensing department that he is on medication for depression.

Ian.

Also medication designed for treating depression can be prescribed for other purposes.
 
Teyhan i agree that there is more to this story then meets the eye but the OPs friend is under no obligation to inform his licensing department that he is on medication for depression.

Ian.
I would assume he would have to declare it at renewal time though ?
 
question 15c on the FAC app form

but it does not indicate that someone who visits a doctor subsequent to the application should inform the police......but I suspect that they would expect this!

absence for a couple of days does not provoke seizure of arms.

I smell some info missing
 
I don't think the issue is the medication itself. It's more the fact that if someone is so depressed they have to be medicated to deal with every day life and leave the house, then it stands to reason they MAY find reason to end their life. Or it may lead on to other mental health issues. In either case, them having firearms MAY not be in the interests of public safety.

He went fishing for a few days and they paniced enough to inform the police so they is obviously believed him to be of a fragile enough mental state to cause worry?

Add to that the acces to his guns, the wife blabbing about his illness, etc, etc. and there is much more to this.

ETA: None of the above is a dig at your friend by the way but it may read that way
 
I am not aware of the full facts but have heard the story re the farmer,it is true that the guns have been taken and his licence revoked.
He did go fishing and loose his mobile on the first day,his family were concerned ,not because of his vunerability or his state of mind,but more that he did not keep in touch and communicate with his large family on a daily basis and nobody had spoken to him.
They did panic and thought the worst that he had drowned or had an accident the mobile was ringing out and there was no answer.

The police were called and asked to intervene for contact purposes.
The police made contact with the family and took the initial steps to ask about medication ,illnesses had he gone missing before,is he suicidal etc..etc they concluded that he was depressed and took action to take a look to see if any weapons were with him.

they were securely locked and the farmer had not taken any weapons with him
I do not know if they took the cabinet off the wall or a lock smith attended, but they had taken possession of his guns and until know refuse to give them back.

He has done nothing wrong ,he is not suicidal,or done anything to break the law

I find the whole issue nothing other than misuse of power,it could happen to anyone

The police need to re look at the situation and return his legal right to his property.
 
1. Hasn't been out of the house for three months.
2. Takes medication for depression.
3. Communicates with his family daily normally.
4. Goes off by himself and doesn't call them for days (so his 'phone is missing, doesn't mean he can't contact them).
5. His family were worried enough to call the police.

There may well be innocent explanations for all the above, but who'd want to be the person taking the decision to give him his guns back with those facts? At the very least, I'd want to see what his doctor says before anything.
 
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