York man fined for firing air rifle near mosque — was targeting rabbits, court accepts

Ian Peart, 44, admitted possessing a loaded air weapon in a public place near York Mosque. Magistrates accepted he was shooting at rabbits, not targeting the building.

Air rifle fired outside York Mosque in early hours; pest controller says he was targeting rabbits

A York man arrested after shots were heard outside a mosque was firing at rabbits with an air rifle, magistrates have ruled, according to The Independent.

Ian Peart, 44, of Bellfarm Avenue, York, pleaded guilty at York Magistrates' Court on Monday to possessing a loaded air weapon in a public place.

Prosecutor Sarah Tyrer told the court that Peart's explanation had been accepted by North Yorkshire Police. "There is no evidence on the file to suggest that it was in any way an anti-Muslim case," Tyrer said, adding that Peart had insisted there was "no intention to cause anyone any harm."

Magistrates were equally clear on the matter. "The fact you were near a mosque was irrelevant," they told Peart, stating there was "no suggestion that this building or its occupants were the intended target." They concluded: "We accept your intention was to shoot rabbits."

A witness heard a "big noise" outside the York Mosque in the early hours of 30 July, which he described as "like a gunshot — the type you would hear in the movies." He then spotted a man in a car at the mosque gates, brandishing what appeared to be a rifle with a barrel and a telescopic sight through an open car door. A second shot was heard as the witness attempted to take photographs and video footage.

The witness, fearing the man was shooting at the mosque, recorded the car's registration number. Officers used it to trace Peart. Ammunition was recovered from his home and a .22 air rifle from his vehicle.

Police reviewed the witness's video footage but found no evidence of shots being fired at the mosque or its occupants.

In a prepared statement to detectives, Peart said he worked part-time in pest control and had been out testing his air rifle fitted with an infra-red scope. He had fired at rabbits in a nearby car park but missed.

Peart was fined £317 and ordered to pay a further £199 in costs and government surcharge. He was permitted to retain his air rifle, which he stated he required for his work.

Source: The Independent