Firearms seized following false allegation - anyone been through similar?

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Mike.b

Member
Hoping for some real-world experiences

I was arrested after allegations made by my 15-year-old son following a domestic argument about his phone. He reported it to school, school followed safeguarding procedures and police got involved.

While I was in custody firearms officers seized my firearms, ammo and revoked my FAC/SGC. I understand this is standard precaution.

A few relevant points:
  • No previous convictions or issues.
  • No evidence other than the allegation.
  • My son has refused to give a statement or have any medical exam.
  • I’m currently on bail until mid-April with conditions not to return home or contact him.
  • Social services are doing a home risk assessment.
  • My wife and our 12-year-old daughter have both told social services the allegations aren’t true.
  • No charges at this stage.
I know licensing is risk-based and nothing will move while bail and safeguarding are ongoing.

What I’m trying to get a feel for is:
  • Has anyone had certificates reinstated after an allegation that ended up NFA?
  • Did licensing wait for social services to close things?
  • Did you have to appeal, or did it eventually get sorted administratively?
  • Rough timescales once bail was lifted / NFA issued.
Appreciate any experiences people are willing to share.


Edit** the allegations didn’t involve firearms in any way. They were purely allegations of violence towards him including prolonged physical abuse over a number of years, which needless to say, hold no truth nor is there any supporting evidence.
 
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I had the exact same thing happen to me. But mine was for all three of my kids due to ex wife wanting to cause trouble. Got arrested and wasn’t allowed to see my kids to 3 weeks. That soon changed when she and her boyfriend wanted to go away.
All charges were dropped and I was proven innocent. It took me 6 months to get my rifles back and in the end I went through a complaint via the police public complaint system.
It was a horrible time and I really feel for you mate. I have recently got my police record sent to me so I can see what’s in it and in my whole life that arrest is the only thing.
If I didn’t chase it constantly they would have never offered them back I’m pretty sure. Every renewal I worry still that it will rear its head again but I wasn’t cautioned and wasn’t charged so technically I don’t even need to put it on my renewal form but I still do.
And as for speaking to a shooting organisation, I’ve been a member for years but really found them no help when I went through it at all.
 
Difficult as it is, I do understand why, on two different levels. Risk 1. There maybe truth in the allegation even with support from your wife.
Risk 2 would be your son, is he stable, is he in the same house as the guns and could he have access.
 
While I was in custody firearms officers seized my firearms, ammo and revoked my FAC/SGC. I understand this is standard precaution.

As a matter of urgency request that an RFD be allowed to take possession of your firearms and ammunition.

A few relevant points:
  • No previous convictions or issues.
  • No evidence other than the allegation.
  • My son has refused to give a statement or have any medical exam.
  • I’m currently on bail until mid-April with conditions not to return home or contact him.
  • Social services are doing a home risk assessment.
  • My wife and our 12-year-old daughter have both told social services the allegations aren’t true.
  • No charges at this stage.
You have, I assume, been bailed and "released under investigation" on twenty-eight day bail. If so you will get a notice at some time before the twenty-eighth day advising that your bail has either been extended or that it has, if no further action is taken, been ended. This will be a printed pro-forma and will give your name and other details and give reasons why. These will be ticked. These can be, from memory, Insufficent Evidence or Not In The Public Interest or Unlikelihood Of Conviction or two or three other reasons. Investigations can be done in weeks or in months. The fewer the number of complainants (your son) the more likely it is to be proceeded with in shorter time.

I know licensing is risk-based and nothing will move while bail and safeguarding are ongoing.

What I’m trying to get a feel for is:
  • Has anyone had certificates reinstated after an allegation that ended up NFA?
  • Did licensing wait for social services to close things?
  • Did you have to appeal, or did it eventually get sorted administratively?
  • Rough timescales once bail was lifted / NFA issued.
It also depends if FAC and SGC were revoked or if instead they were in fact not revoked but seized and the police advised that they would keep them until the outcome of the enquiries were concluded. So you need again to find out which applies to you. Revoked? Or merely "seized"?

Appreciate any experiences people are willing to share.

After the event can go either way so what happened to others is unique to them. Not one size fits all and to share such would either give false optimism or mistaken pessimism.
 
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hoodwink said:
Difficult as it is, I do understand why, on two different levels. Risk 1. There maybe truth in the allegation even with support from your wife.
Risk 2 would be your son, is he stable, is he in the same house as the guns and could he have access.
Click to expand...
However frustrating i find the circumstances I’m in, I totally respect the process they have to go through. I’ve come to terms with the possibility that I may never have my FAC/SGC reinstated, but hopeful that maybe one day i will
 
enfieldspares said:
While I was in custody firearms officers seized my firearms, ammo and revoked my FAC/SGC. I understand this is standard precaution.

As a matter of urgency request that an RFD be allowed to take possession of your firearms and ammunition.

A few relevant points:
  • No previous convictions or issues.
  • No evidence other than the allegation.
  • My son has refused to give a statement or have any medical exam.
  • I’m currently on bail until mid-April with conditions not to return home or contact him.
  • Social services are doing a home risk assessment.
  • My wife and our 12-year-old daughter have both told social services the allegations aren’t true.
  • No charges at this stage.
You will get a notice at some time advising that your bail has either been extended or that it has, if no further action is taken, been ended. This will give reasons why. These will be ticked. These can be, from memory, Insufficent Evidence or Not In The Public Interest or Unlikelihood Of Conviction or two or three other reasons. Investigations can be done in weeks or in months. The fewer the number of complainants (your son) the more likely it is to be proceeded with in shorter time.

I know licensing is risk-based and nothing will move while bail and safeguarding are ongoing.

What I’m trying to get a feel for is:
  • Has anyone had certificates reinstated after an allegation that ended up NFA?
  • Did licensing wait for social services to close things?
  • Did you have to appeal, or did it eventually get sorted administratively?
  • Rough timescales once bail was lifted / NFA issued.
It also depends if FAC and SGC were revoked or if instead they were in fact not revoked but seized and the police advised that they would keep them until the outcome of the enquiries were concluded. So you need again to find out which applies to you. Revoked? Or merely "seized"?

Appreciate any experiences people are willing to share.

After the event can go either way so what happened to others is unique to them. Not one size fits all and to share such would either give false optimism or mistaken pessimism.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input 👍

My bail is until mid April.

Not sure if it’s been revoked or just seized. My wife was at home at the time of them being taken. I had to relay the keypad code to the officer on scene to gain access to the keys. They asked my wife to sign something but left no paperwork 🤦🏻‍♂️
 
Mike.b said:
Thanks for the input 👍

My bail is until mid April.

Not sure if it’s been revoked or just seized. My wife was at home at the time of them being taken. I had to relay the keypad code to the officer on scene to gain access to the keys. They asked my wife to sign something but left no paperwork 🤦🏻‍♂️
Click to expand...
Seized is good, revoked is not so good in terms of getting your firearms back as if seized the FAC and SGC can simply be handed back to you. If revoked you'll need to apply for a fresh FAC and SGC. So you'll need to find out.
 
enfieldspares said:
Seized is good, revoked is not so good in terms of getting your firearms back as if seized the FAC and SGC can simply be handed back to you. If revoked you'll need to apply for a fresh FAC and SGC. So you'll need to find out.
Click to expand...
The police have a duty of fairness when the allegations are disposed of. They also have a duty of care not only to the complainant but also to you

So if not revoked but seized ask if the police will retain the FAC and SGC until the investigation is finished and thus at that later time then agree a decision with you. Be that request your volutarily surrender the FAC and SGC, or return them to you "as is" or "with additional conditions" such as "must be kept at and not removed from XXX club premises".

That duty of care is to protect now, but also going forward 1) the complainant from harm from your being in possession of your firearms AND 2} to protect you from self harm from your being in possession of your firearms. Or in either case from being able to use your FAC or SGC to access third party owned firearms or ammunition to do so.
 
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Not quite the same circumstances but a domestic split up and guns taken by police certificate revoked.
Several months later the partner dropped all accusations, the police refused a new grant application, saying wait five years and then reapply.
 
As much as you might not want to hear this.
Your priority is sorting things out with your son. Your guns don't really matter.
I had my tickets revoked . Once it was investigated, and it was clear that I'd done nothing wrong , I was told to reapply, and my guns were returned , in a cleaner condition than when they left.
 
Possible unfounded allegations have life changing effects on people's lives.

No firearms were involved in this example, but it has effectively turned the lady's life upside down, let's call her Sue...

Sue is on her 2nd marriage, two teenage children from the 1st, a boy and a girl, and she has a young son from the happy 2nd marriage.
They all live together happily until Sue's husband arrives home, and the daughter is in the house with friends smoking "dope".
He's not happy but waits until Sue arrives, and they agree together that this behaviour is not happening in their house.
Friends told to bugger off home, and daughter told she's not to smoke drugs in their home...
A few hours later, the police arrive at the door, the daughter has made allegations that her stepdad has abused her...
The result is that he has had to move out. But worse for Sue is that the successful kiddies day nursery business she operated from home had to shut overnight.
It's still all rumbling on...

I expect it could happen to everyone.
 
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