Johnstone man pleads guilty to hoarding weapons cache

A 64-year-old man had a cache of weapons and ammunition hidden in his boiler cupboard, a court was told. At the High Court in Glasgow Walenty Kubica of McLaurin Crescent, Johnstone, admitted being in possession of five rifles, a shotgun and a pistol and live ammunition. He also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of amphetamine.

The guns were found during a drugs search at Kubica's home on October 17, last year.

Prosecutor Mark McGuire said: “Officers found 1.8 kilos of amphetamine with a street value of £3,000 in a plastic bag in the freezer. In the kitchen was the boiler cupboard and in that officers observed what appeared to be several firearms.

“The search was immediately halted and a search warrant for the firearms act was obtained from a sheriff.

The search then continued and a number of firearms and rounds of ammunition for use in those firearms were recovered.”

The weapons found were a Beretta 9mm self-loading pistol, a Brazilian-manufactured bolt action rifle, two Lee Enfield bolt action rifles, a A BSA bolt action rifle, an Alpha Special Karabiner bolt action single shot rifle and a Bettinsoli double barrelled 12 bore shotgun.

There was ammunition for all the weapons.

Mr McGuire added: “The DNA of Kubica was detected either on the firearms recovered or on the cases or bags in which they were found.”

Kubica's son Konrad Kubica, 41, admitted producing cannabis at the flat above on October 17, last year.

The court heard that as police were going in to search his father's flat downstairs Konrad Kubica came out of his flat and they smelled cannabis coming from his flat.

They found 29 cannabis plants in one of the bedrooms.

Sentence was deferred on father and son until next month for background reports.

Defence counsel will give their pleas in mitigation then.