Drapers Airgun Centre‘s managing director Rebecca Draper has described herself as “so relieved” after charges against her were dropped.
Ms Draper had been accused of selling or transferring four firing pins and an extractor without lawful authority – but the case collapsed after a witness pulled out.
The absolute offence would carry a penalty of five years’ imprisonment, but Ms Draper consistently maintainer her innocence.
Ms Draper’s legal firm Lewis Nedas said: “The Police and Prosecution were hoping this was in some way going to be a test case as to whether a firing pin is classified in law as a ’component part’ of a firearm, and therefore subject to the same controls as the complete firearm to which the part belongs.
However, that flies in the face of custom and practice in the gun trade since at least 1937.”
Chris Draper, who owns Drapers Airguns, said: “It shouldn’t have gone to court at all. There was no intent and we were going about our normal business.”
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