Boy, 16, had stun guns in college

A member of staff heard a crackling noise outside during a smoking break and saw a group of between six and 10 people looking and laughing at something in April last year, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

She alerted security staff who searched the defendant as he tried to enter the college and found he had three mobile phones, two of which did not work, revealed Miss Lisa Hancox, prosecuting.

Closer inspection revealed they were both Tasers with firing buttons which worked when tested.

The youth, now aged 17, initially claimed to have not known what they were but finally admitted that he had met a friend on a bus who had offered him £50 to sell them, the court was told.

He was excluded from the college and has been unable to get a place elsewhere since the incident, continued Miss Hancox.

Mr Philip Brunt, defending, said: “This is a non lethal weapon but he appears to be being drawn to less salubrious characters.

“He knew it was wrong to have had a stun gun but did not realise the true significance of this.”

The youth from Walsall, who cannot be identified because of his age, admitted possession of a prohibited firearm and should have faced a three year minimum sentence.

But Judge James Burbidge QC said the ‘unconscionable’ near 12 month delay in completing the case provided the exceptional circumstances that allowed him to reduce the period of custody because there was no explanation of why it had taken so long.

He explained that the Tasers seized in April had not been checked until August and it was two months after that when witness statements were taken.

The defendant finally appeared in court for the first time in February.

The judge concluded: “Taking any weapon into college is a very serious offence and the youth offending team suggest there is a high risk of you committing further crime.”

Half of the sentence will be spent in detention, the other half will be training in the community.