A Lanarkshire man has narrowly avoided prison after police found a shotgun at his home.
William Denholm, of Airdrie, claimed he bought the weapon at a car boot sale and wanted to have it as an ornament.
The 54-year-old was fined £1875 at Airdrie Sheriff Court after he admitted possessing the shotgun without a certificate at his then home in Craigvale Crescent, and elsewhere, between February 2016 and February 2019.
His not guilty plea to a charge of possessing a stun gun was accepted.
The court heard that Denholm told police officers he bought the shotgun at Polmadie car boot sale in Glasgow, thinking it was an antique.
However, it wasn't as old as he thought and firearm experts said it could still fire ammunition.
Defence agent Luke O'Curry said the weapon was in a dilapidated state and Denholm reconstructed it with a view to putting it on display in his home. It ended up tucked away in the loft.
After Denholm and his wife split up, he moved to Stonehaven Crescent in Airdrie.
The shotgun and other items belonging to him were put in a black bin bag and his wife arranged for this to be taken to his new home. She then informed the police about the weapon.
Mr O'Curry said his client was on a work trip and returned to find armed police officers ready to search his home.
Sheriff Derek O'Carroll had warned Denholm he was considering a jail sentence, but after hearing from his solicitor and reading a criminal justice social work report, the sheriff decided that a substantial fine should be imposed.
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