Johnstone pensioner jailed for hoarding cache of weapons

A pensioner who had a cache of weapons and ammunition hidden in his boiler cupboard, was jailed for five years and three months. 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 the 64-year-old's home on October 17, last year.

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

Judge Lord Matthews said he had considered the background reports and medical report about Mrs Kubica who has “extreme health conditions”.

He said: “I'm not prepared to exacerbate her problems any further than I have to.”

The judge jailed Walenty Kubica and deferred sentence on Konrad Kubica for a year for good behaviour and who was told he would have to “assume responsibility for his mother”.

He warned him: “If you don't behave yourself, all options are open.”

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.”

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 it.

They found 29 cannabis plants in one of the bedrooms.

Solicitor advocate Christopher McKenna said his client, Walenty Kubica, had "grown up in an environment with firearms and it was the norm", as he lived in a rural area.

He said Kubica's wife would be unable to visit him in custody due to her health.