Ex-SAS soldier jailed for weapons stash in Hereford

  • Published
Albert PattersonImage source, Handout
Image caption,

Patterson was jailed at Hereford Crown Court

A former SAS soldier has been jailed for possessing weapons and ammunition.

A 9mm self-loading pistol, ammunition, four Enfield pistols and a rifle component were found at Albert Patterson's house in Hereford, the Hereford Times reported., external

The 65-year-old was jailed for 15 months at the city's Crown Court.

He had already admitted three firearms offences, possessing prohibited ammunition and possessing ammunition without a certificate.

More on this story and others from Herefordshire

West Mercia Police said Patterson was arrested in January last year and charged in December.

Two charges of possessing a prohibited weapon and a second charge of possessing ammunition without a certificate will remain on file following Wednesday's hearing.

Former SAS soldier Lofty Wiseman who helped train Patterson, described him as a "good lad" who had been naive.

Lofty Wiseman
Image caption,

Former SAS trainer Lofty Wiseman said Patterson should have had the weapons deactivated

"He broke the law unfortunately. He had to get punished," he said.

"If he wanted a weapon as a keepsake, you could have had it de-activated, but by having a weapon, a serviceable weapon and ammunition, I think it's the ammunition that's really been the nail in the coffin.

"If you have a weapon in a house with ammunition, there's always that temptation... you can never say you're going to use it but different circumstances, state of mind, if it's there, it can be used so that's where you must have laws."

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.