A SHOPKEEPER kept an electronic stun gun behind his counter to defend himself from thieving drug addicts, a court heard.

Amardeep Singh Maan, of Maan Brothers Off Licence, Willington, County Durham, was handed a one-year suspended sentence yesterday after police found the weapon stored on a shelf in March.

South Durham magistrates sitting at Bishop Auckland were told the stun gun was ready for use, but the 33-yearold had never turned it on anyone.

The father-of-two took over the Commercial Street offlicence from his parents about ten years ago and bought the weapon on a whim about the same time.

Alison Nunn, prosecuting, said: “It is a non-lethal electric stun gun, a self-defence weapon capable of causing temporary incapacitation.

Used for half a second it startles and repels the subject.”

If used for longer it could immobilise a person for a few minutes, but there was no suggestion Maan used the weapon other than to test it on himsel, the court heard.

The shop, close to Parkside Sports College and Willington CofE Primary School, is popular with children during breaks and on their way to and from school.

Andrew Clinton, mitigating, said drug addicts had begun targeting the store and that tempted Maan, who runs it with his wife, to arm himself.

He said: “Reading between the lines, it seems there have been problems in the shop with heroin addicts.

“He kept the gun there as a backup if there was going to be any more problems, but it has never come to that.”

Maan was given the suspended sentence and asked to pay £43 costs.

He was also given a 28-day curfew order, limiting him to his home address between 11pm and 7am.

Chairman of the bench David Raine warned it was unwise for people to take the law into their own hands.

He said: “We need to deal with this today and send a clear message to the public.

“We take the view that this is a serious matter as it could have been used.

“The public needs to be made aware that possessing a weapon such as this is not acceptable.”

The gun was confiscated and destroyed.