Police officer caught with six shotguns and weapons surrendered to him at his home

A serving officer took six shotguns and other weapons which had been surrendered to him into his home.

Alan Sharp was a constable at the time with the Firearms and Explosive Licensing Department based in Kinross.

Sharp was caught after a search of the family home in 2022, after concerns had initially been raised about the 52-year-old failing to carry out proper checks on those applying for gun certificates.

Sharp, an officer since 2001, was held following a large-scale investigation.

He pled guilty to three charges under the Firearms Act as well as another charge of wilful neglect of police duty.

The offences spanned between December 2022 and August 2022.

Sharp, who is the holder of his own shotgun certificate, faces a minimum five-year jail term.

He had been on bail, but was remanded in custody at the High Court in Glasgow pending sentencing.

Sharp qualified as a Firearms Enquiry Officer (FEO) in 2015.

In late 2020, he moved to the Firearms and Explosive Licensing Unit in Perth.

It has responsibility for the granting and renewal of applications for such weapons and the disposal of seized and surrendered guns and ammunition.

The court heard there was a “standard procedure” for them to be destroyed.

In January 2021, a man handed over gun parts to Sharp at Kinross police station as part of what was described as a “government surrender scheme”.

He gave a clothes shop bag with components for a rifle and two firearm barrels.

In November of that year, another man decided not to renew his shotgun licence due to his age.

Prosecutor Liam Ewing KC said: “Sharp went to his home and took possession of six shotguns.

“He told the man that they would be held in a safe holding area and that they would be taken to Glasgow to be crushed.”

Sharp later sent an email to the firearms licensing unit detailing the shotguns and their serial numbers.

He further included that he had “collected” the weapons for “destruction”.

The court then heard that, in July 2022, there were concerns that Sharp may not be “complying with his duties” as a FEO to carry out reference checks for fresh and renewed gun applications.

Mr Ewing: “He admitted that he had not contacted all referees. He claimed this was due to work-related stress and time constraints.”

Sharp further added that he did not “deem it necessary” if he knew people involved personally and there had been no change to the referees.

The constable was moved to another post pending a full probe.

He was initially “resistant” to allowing his personal weapons and certificates to be seized.

Mr Ewing: “Sharp advised the officers that he had six shotguns which had been surrendered for destruction in his own personal cabinet at his home.”

Among his reasons, the constable stated he had received an “instruction” that firearms were not to be stored at Kinross police station.

He further stated he did not have time to move them to an armoury before finishing for annual leave.

The court heard there was no record of Sharp signing out or removing the shotguns.

The weapons were found in a secure cabinet at his large home in Kinross. These were the ones handed over in November 2021.

All were found to be in working order.

In 2021 and 2022, weapons seized or surrendered were to be temporarily stored in a secure cabinet at a local police station until they could be taken to a dedicated firearms armoury.

Police colleagues also found the rifle component parts in the shopping bag on top of a washing machine in a garage.

The two firearm barrels were found nearby, which had been surrendered in January 2021.

A police spreadsheet found the shotguns, rifle parts and the firearm barrels had all been listed as being “destroyed” – although this information had not been entered by Sharp.

A total of 1,919 bullets of 17 different calibres were also seized.

Mr Ewing told the hearing a FEO had to carry out the required checks with all referees for firearms certificate applications.

The probe looked at those handled by Sharp since 2020.

It was found that there were 75 times one or more of the “mandatory checks” had not taken place.

They had then been “falsely entered” as having been completed on the application forms.

Kris Gilmartin, defending, said he would cite “exceptional circumstances” at the sentencing hearing for Sharp not to receive a mandatory five-year term for such firearm offences.

He had asked for Sharp to remain on bail, but judge Lord Armstrong remanded him in custody as the case was adjourned until December 8 in Edinburgh.