The man was a member of a shooting club and claimed at his trial a fascination with weapons.
A 39-year-old man was sentenced Monday by the criminal court of Evreux (Eure) to 18 months in prison, including six months, in particular for “unauthorized possession” of heavy weapons, a few days after the dismantling at his home an arsenal of around fifteen firearms and 7,000 rounds of ammunition, France Bleu Normandie reported on Tuesday October 24.
This resident of Andelys was arrested on Wednesday October 18 on the instructions of the Évreux public prosecutor. It was the intelligence unit of the Eure gendarmerie group which began to take an interest in this individual last September, after numerous purchases of weapons from him on the internet. The forty-year-old is a member of a local sports shooting club. He has the right to possess weapons, but only of certain categories.
A veritable arsenal discovered at his home
At his home, the police, helped by the explosive firearms investigation department of the central criminal intelligence service of the gendarmerie, discovered 11 modified long guns of categories A, B and C, three handguns of category B, seven daggers, a hatchet, an electronic baton, a shield with the “police” logo, a heavy helmet with a visor, three heavy vests, a bulletproof jacket, a balaclava, handcuffs and more than 7,000 rounds of ammunition.
At his trial, the man explained that he was fascinated by weapons. He was therefore convicted of “modification of a weapon leading to a change in its category”, “unauthorized possession of category B weapons, ammunition or their elements”, “unauthorized possession of category C weapons” and ” unauthorized possession of category A weapons. He benefited from a reduced sentence with home detention under an electronic bracelet. He had all the weapons and ammunition seized confiscated. He was also sentenced to a 15-year ban on possessing weapons.