'Naive' scout leader jailed over huge collection of weapons

A scout leader who kept a huge collection of guns, Samurai swords and other weapons at his home was jailed for a year yesterday after a court heard that he was "naïve".

Police found 36 replicas of blank-firing handguns and four deactivated assault rifles at the home of Andrew Gomm, a milkman who lived with his parents. Gomm, 22, also had Samurai swords, flick knives, martial arts weapons, police batons, CS gas canisters and stun guns in an "array of weaponry", Barnaby Evans, for the prosecution, told Oxford Crown Court.

The scout leader kept some weapons in a cabinet in his bedroom and some in a garage that he had adapted into a makeshift firing range. Five guns were found in his parents' bedroom, and there were more in a box in the hallway at the family home in Oxford, the court was told. Mr Evans said the weapons were discovered when police went to Gomm's home as part of an investigation into alleged credit card fraud.

He told police he liked to touch and admire weapons such as Samurai swords, which he had collected for 10 years.

Gomm admitted two counts of possessing prohibited weapons – CS gas and a stun gun. He also admitted two counts of possessing a weapon – blank-firing revolvers capable of firing rubber bullets – without authority. He also admitted three charges of possessing a firearm without a firearms certificate.

Nigel Daly, for the defence, said Gomm bought the weapons over the internet and believed they were lawful in England. He had trained in the use of weapons with the Territorial Army before being voluntarily discharged.

Mr Daly said Gomm was "naïve and immature" but posed no threat to society, as confirmed by psychiatric reports. "He is a young scout leader who lives with his mum," he added. "He now collects Zippo lighters."

Timothy Lee, a probation officer, said Gomm collected his armoury out of an "obsessive interest in weapons for their own sake", rather than out of any intent to use them.

Mr Justice Aikens, who ordered that the weapons be destroyed, said the offences were so serious that a custodial sentence had to be passed.