Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

The Dumbest Place On Earth

I’m now officially giving that label to (not so) Great Britain.  No country can match the sheer volume of jaw-droppingly stupid items that it produces on a near daily basis.  It has become a cesspool of excessive multiculturalism, nanny-state paternalism and runaway liberalism.  Witness:

A former soldier who handed a discarded shotgun in to police faces at least five years imprisonment for “doing his duty”. Paul Clarke, 27, was found guilty of possessing a firearm at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday – after finding the gun and handing it personally to police officers on March 20 this year. The jury took 20 minutes to make its conviction, and Mr Clarke now faces a minimum of five year’s imprisonment for handing in the weapon. In a statement read out in court, Mr Clarke said: “I didn’t think for one moment I would be arrested.”

… Prosecuting, Brian Stalk, explained to the jury that possession of a firearm was a “strict liability” charge – therefore Mr Clarke’s allegedly honest intent was irrelevant. Just by having the gun in his possession he was guilty of the charge, and has no defence in law against it, he added.

… Judge Christopher Critchlow said: “This is an unusual case, but in law there is no dispute that Mr Clarke has no defence to this charge. “The intention of anybody possessing a firearm is irrelevant.”

Let this stand as a warning to any who consider following down their path.

Hat-tip: Cato@Liberty

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