Gun expert had 'illegal' weapons

Richard Ashley was licensed to keep some weapons

A firearms expert has been warned he could be jailed after being found guilty of illegally possessing rocket launchers and anti-tank guns.

Police armourer Richard Ashley was convicted on Wednesday of keeping the weapons illegally at his home at Pakenham, Suffolk.

The 57-year-old was cleared by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court of charges relating to the possession of more than 40 handguns and a similar number of machine guns following a two-month trial.

Judge David Goodin adjourned sentencing until 19 December but warned Ashley he could be jailed.

Lawyers representing the gun dealer said he had been convicted on technicalities and indicated they would argue the offences did not merit a prison sentence.

Home armoury

Ashley, who lectured to soldiers about firearms and was employed by Suffolk Police and Norfolk Police as an armourer, was convicted of illegally possessing 11 weapons.

His defence had argued he had needed the weapons for use in lecturers and talks to military personnel.

Craig Rush, prosecuting said Ashley was licensed to keep handguns and machine guns in an armoury at his home.

However, he said the defendant had more guns than his licence allowed and was not permitted to possess rocket launchers or anti-tank weapons.

Ashley was arrested in February 2001 following a raid at his home.

His defence lawyer Martyn Levett said the police had targeted Ashley after failing to secure a conviction of another firearms dealer from the Cambridge area.