Made up story about gun being taken from house

Timothy John Hudson (23), Kiloanin Crescent, Banbridge, pleaded guilty to causing wasteful employment of police time by making a false report.

He also admitted failing to comply with a firearm certificate condition by not reporting the loss of the certificate.

Banbridge Magistrates Court heard last Thursday that on November 7 last year police attended the home of the defendant who said it had been burgled and a firearm stolen from a locked cupboard in the bedroom.

There had been no forced entry and Hudson said he had the keys secreted in another place.

Police spent 90 minutes with the defendant and it had taken them 20 minutes to get to the scene and 20 minutes for their return journey.

A crime scene investigator was also tasked to attend.

Hudson failed to turn up to see a detective constable who waited for an hour.

Police became suspicious and Hudson admitted he had made up the story.

He said he had taken the gun to a friend’s house a number of weeks previously.

He secreted the gun there but when he went back it was gone.

Deputy District Judge, Mr John Connolly, adjourned the case so that a pre-sentence report could be obtained.