A man caught carrying an air weapon through the streets of Darlington has appeared in court.

Gareth Carr was spotted by two police officers as he walked along Haughton Road with the uncovered weapon and was arrested.

The 34-year-old was hoping to have the inactive weapon restored for his mother to hang up in her home, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Ian West, prosecuting, said the defendant had pleaded guilty to having a weapon in a public place at the magistrates’ court and had only been sent to Crown Court for sentence as he was in breach of an earlier suspended sentence.

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Emma Williams, mitigating, said her client had been complying well with the conditions of his suspended sentence and didn’t realise he was committing a criminal offence by carrying the unusable weapon through the streets.

She said: “He says he was going to get the weapon refurbished for his mother to hang on her wall.

“It was not in a case and he didn’t realise it was against the law as it was not working. He does know that is the case now.”

Carr, of Shelley Road, Darlington, had his 18-month suspended sentence extended for two additional months and had the air rifle seized and destroyed.

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Judge Howard Crowson said: “This is a very unusual case, you are only in Crown Court because you have a Crown Court suspended sentence against you.”

Carr was given a 12-month conditional discharge for the weapons offence.

The judge added: “You are doing well on your suspended sentence – keep it up.”