Father-of-three, 40, who imported a stun gun from Singapore disguised as an iPhone walks free from court
A father who imported a stun gun disguised as an iPhone walked free from court yesterday.
John Liddiatt, 40, ordered the device online while browsing collectible replica weapons.
But when suspicious customs officers investigated the parcel from Singapore they found the replica iPhone and immediately passed it to the police.
The black phone, which is in a cover, came with a charger and has two prongs in the bottom which act as pins for the stun gun.
Sentencing, Judge Martin Picton told him: 'It is a pretty poor imitation of an iPhone of some description in a box that is meant to look real.'
The court heard how weapon collector Liddiatt ordered the stun gun on December 5 2013 from a website he usually used to purchase replica items.
George Threlfall, prosecuting, said: 'On December 19 a package was sent from Singapore, addressed to Liddiatt at his home address.
'It was intercepted by customs and officers opened it and revealed what they believed to be a stun gun device.
'This was passed on to police and following examination, firearms officers who confirmed it was a stun gun with the appearance of a mobile phone.'
Police then re-packaged the device before an officer, dressed as a postman, delivered it to Liddiatt's home.
A father who imported a stun gun disguised as an iPhone walked free from court yesterday.
John Liddiatt, 40, ordered the device online while browsing collectible replica weapons.
But when suspicious customs officers investigated the parcel from Singapore they found the replica iPhone and immediately passed it to the police.
The black phone, which is in a cover, came with a charger and has two prongs in the bottom which act as pins for the stun gun.
Sentencing, Judge Martin Picton told him: 'It is a pretty poor imitation of an iPhone of some description in a box that is meant to look real.'
The court heard how weapon collector Liddiatt ordered the stun gun on December 5 2013 from a website he usually used to purchase replica items.
George Threlfall, prosecuting, said: 'On December 19 a package was sent from Singapore, addressed to Liddiatt at his home address.
'It was intercepted by customs and officers opened it and revealed what they believed to be a stun gun device.
'This was passed on to police and following examination, firearms officers who confirmed it was a stun gun with the appearance of a mobile phone.'
Police then re-packaged the device before an officer, dressed as a postman, delivered it to Liddiatt's home.
