The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A man who collects and plays with ninja weapons has been given a suspended prison sentence after being found using them and a replica gun in a Spalding park.
Stanislavs Bazutins, 33, of Cortez Close, Spalding admitted three offences of possessing shuriken throwing stars, three offences of possessing throwing knives and one of possessing an imitation firearm, a gas powered BB gun, in a public place, when he appeared at Boston Magistrates Court.
The magistrates heard that police were called to the park in Chiltern Drive at 6.11pm on June 1 after reports that people were throwing knives and shooting a gun.
Ali Zaki, prosecuting, said Bazutins was seen and was ‘very cooperative’ with the officers.
He said there were no reports of any fighting and that Bazutins, who had the weapons in his possession, said it was his hobby to collect and play with Ninja weapons.
Mr Zaki said that after his arrest, Bazutins said that he had not realised it was an offence to possess the weapons.
Mitigating, Suleiman Baig said this had been a ‘single incident’.
Mr Baig said Bazutins had been in the park with friends and he was throwing knives and shooting the gun at a plank of wood and that they stopped if anyone came into the park.
“He wasn’t really aware he’d done wrong,” he said. “He was in his own little bubble indulging his hobby in a public park.”
The magistrates said that they realised he meant no harm but that he had been in possession of seven ‘very dangerous weapons’.
Bazutins was sentenced to a period of three months in prison but sentence was suspended for a period of a year.
He was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for the community and to pay £170 in costs and charges.
