Taxi driver's stun gun disguised as torch zapped policemanhttps://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... d-15420854Jayne Bird lied about the weapon but walked free from court because of her autistic sonA policeman was zapped when he discovered a stun gun disguised as a torch in a taxi driver's car.
Mum-of-five Jayne Bird lied by claiming she had no idea it was a weapon after the officer suffered the electric shock.
But the Delta Taxis driver avoided a minimum five-year jail sentence because of the impact it would have on her autistic son.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the officer stopped Bird's car in Stanley Road, Bootle at around 10.40am on June 7 this year.
Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said he pulled over the 43-year-old's Ford Focus estate as part of a routine taxi licensing inspection.
The policeman then spotted what he believed to be a torch, wedged in the space between the driver's seat and door.
When he attempted to pull the torch out, he received a shock up his right arm, leaving him in immense pain.
He arrested Bird, who in a custody suite holding area said: "It came through customs from China, I didn't think it would get through."
However, the mum later suggested she meant she was surprised an item like that could be imported, after buying it for £8 online.
She told officers she wanted a strong torch to use for her job at night, not a weapon for protection from aggressive passengers.
But she accepted that when she first tested the torch and pressed a button, it made a noise and vibrated.
Bird, who has no previous convictions, admitted possession of a disguised firearm, on the basis she did not know it was a stun gun.
This claim was rejected by prosecutors and a Newton hearing - a form of mini-trial to establish disputed facts - had to be held.
A firearms examiner found the 23.5cm "Mag Lite" style torch, with Chinese symbols on, had a switch to turn on the torch or arm the stun function.
It could then be activated with a button on the other side, producing bright blue sparks.
Mr Blasbery said: "He said it was a non-lethal, self-defence weapon, designed to deliver electric shocks capable of causing pain and distress, which may result in burns and scarring when the electrodes are placed in contact with exposed or clothed skin."
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones ruled against Bird, saying he found her claims "incredible" and that she knew it was a weapon.
He said Bird wanted it for self-defence when alone and vulnerable, if she was confronted by violent passengers.
The policeman suffered pins and needles in his hand, and a burning sensation inside his wrist and arm.
He underwent an electrocardiogram, which came back clear, but said his wife and son were upset by the time he spent in hospital.
The officer endured a sleepless night due to the pain and was left anxious about searching vehicles.
Mr Blasbery said: "He's always nervous he may come across something that could injure him again.
"His wife, when he's in work, gets very worried when he calls her, in case something may have happened to him."
Stun guns are firearms subject to a minimum five-year jail sentence, unless there are "exceptional circumstances".
Image: Liverpool Echo/Lynda RoughleyBird, who used a walking stick in the dock, suffers from chronic pain condition fibromyalgia and a sleeping disorder.
Charlotte Kenny, defending, said she was a woman of "positive good character", who voluntarily worked with special needs children.
She said what was "really exceptional" was her role as the primary carer for her 12-year-old son, who has autism.
Ms Kenny said the boy had a full-time support worker and went to special school, but a stable routine was extremely important.
She said: "The stability Mrs Bird provides is so important, the health professional working with him describes the potential effect as catastrophic if she goes into custody."
Judge Trevor-Jones said the officer suffered "excruciating pain" when inadvertently shocked by the weapon, underlining its danger.
But he said Bird's son had "extremely challenging" behaviour and if the bond between them was broken, it could be "catastrophic".
The judge handed her 18 months in jail, suspended for 18 months, with a 10-day rehabilitation course and 160 hours of unpaid work.
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