A man who told police he found a gun in the sea has been given a suspended sentence.

Jason Roy Taylor, of Sprucewood View, Foxdale, admitted possession of a firearm when appeared before the Deputy High Bailiff this week.

A 31-year-old said he found the gun and ammunition while diving, kept it and was then too afraid to hand it to police.

The gun was discovered when Taylor asked police to help him collect his possessions from his former partner’s home in Kirk Michael after they had split.

He was sentenced to 20 weeks custody, suspended for two years, and made the subject of a two-year Suspended Sentence Supervision Order (SSSO).

We previously reported how Taylor had said he found the Smith and Wesson handgun and 101 rounds of ammunition while he was diving off the coast of the island.

He told police he could not remember where exactly but that he found the gun and ammo sealed in a plastic bag and had kept it.

Taylor does hold a firearms licence but not for that gun.

Prosecutor Michael Jelski told the court how the only information police had established about the gun was that it was registered in 1977 in the United States.

Defending Taylor in court his advocate Ian Kermode said: ’It is correct to say Mr Taylor didn’t realise quite how serious this was.

’When police attended in Kirk Michael, they were there at his request. He intended to retrieve his possessions and anticipated there may be issues.

’It was in recovering those items that the gun was discovered by the police.’

Mr Kermode handed in a basis of plea for his client in which Taylor said the gun was never used and was kept locked in a safe. He said he could not recall when and where he found the gun.

The court heard that Taylor holds a firearms licence for a Winchester rifle, which he used for shooting rabbits on his father’s farm.

Mr Kermode continued: ’Clearly he had two options. He could either have applied to amend the certificate to include it or given it to the police. His licence was renewed in July 2017 and remains in force until April 2020.

’His wife was not aware the gun existed and was in the house.’

Mr Kermode went on to say that his client said he had not been aware of a firearms amnesty last February when he could have handed the gun in.

’He found the gun, initially decided to keep it, then was afraid to go to the police,’ said the advocate.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said while passing sentence: ’This is a most unusual case, given the circumstances you came into possession of the hand gun and what happened subsequently. I will sentence you on the basis it was kept securely, though it does rather beg the question why you didn’t hand it in to the police.

’You chose not to and the weapon continued to be kept at your matrimonial home even after you left. I note there is no history of the weapon. No one seems to know what happened to it after it was registered in the US in the 1970s.’

Taylor was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs and an order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of the gun and ammunition.