Two people appeared in Fort William Sheriff Court yesterday afternoon accused of a string of firearms offences, including having sawn-off shot guns and semi automatic weapons.
Robert Lockhart, 49, and Carol Stirling, 49, both from Appin in Argyll, appeared in private face charges under the Firearms 1968 (Scotland) Act and Customs and Excise Management Act (Scotland) 1979 Act.
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It is understood the case was heard by Fort William sheriff Eilidh MacDonald.
Lockhart made no plea. He was remanded in custody for further examination. He will appear again at the court within the next eight days.
Stirling made no plea. She was committed for further examination, and released on bail.
Lockhart and Stirling are facing 20 charges under firearms and, customs and excise legislation.
These include having in their possession a firearm which is so designed or adapted that two or more missiles can be successively discharged without repeated pressure on the trigger, any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing, and a firearm which either has a barrel less than 30 centimetres in length or is less than 60 centimetres in length overall, other than an air weapon.
They are further charged under the Customs and Excise Acts 1979, for holding and evading officers by having unlawful weapons.
An eye witness said he saw police activity at a house in the area in the early morning. Three police cars and a vehicle described as a “police riot van”, were seen at a property in the hamlet of Duror, near Appin.
The eyewitness said: “It was very early in the morning and it was a fairly unusual sight to see so many police vehicles in the area. It wasn’t the local officers, it looked like a specialised unit.
“The worst thing you normally see at Duror is a car off the road. This looked like a very serious police operation.”
