Man Claims He Forgot About Revolver Stored in His Garden Shed
A man was arrested after police found a revolver in his shed. He claimed he forgot it was there for three years.
Caldicot, Chepstow Road, Newport, Wales, United Kingdom
Caldicot: A man kept a revolver in his garden shed. He said he forgot it was there. Police found it during a property search.
Philip Hill, 63, pleaded guilty to firearm possession. He appeared in Newport Crown Court on February 3, 2025. Hill received a 12-month suspended prison sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work, and a fine of £1,187.
Hill lived on Chepstow Road and was part of a local re-enactment society. He had a long-standing interest in war and held a firearms license since the 1970s. He renewed it yearly without issues.
Police arrested Hill on March 23, 2023, for unrelated matters. During the search, they discovered the revolver in his shed. The gun was rusty and in poor condition, and it hadn’t been fired in years.
Hill had stored the revolver for a friend who asked him to dispose of it. He kept it locked in his shed, planning to see an armourer. However, their meeting was canceled due to Covid, and he forgot about the gun.
His defense argued that Hill was active in the community and intended to dispose of the revolver. He had many replica weapons, so the real one didn’t stand out to him.
The prosecution pointed out that the shed lacked safety measures. They emphasized that Hill should have known better as a long-time firearms license holder.