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A 64-year-old caught with bullets and indecent images of children has been given a suspended prison sentence.

James John Hall downloaded sick pictures of youngsters over more than four years.

He also had the ammunition hidden in a drawer – a wartime memento he inherited from a family friend, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

But he had no gun capable of firing the rifle tracer cartridges, the Plymouth Herald reports.

Judge Paul Darlow told Hall: “No doubt you realise the misery of the children who are forced to participate in these images and the long-term psychological damage they suffer”.

But he added that, the convictions aside, Hall was a “wholly decent hard-working man”.

The defendant was handed a suspended prison sentence.

Hall, of Farringdon Road, Mount Gould, pleaded guilty to having ammunition without a certificate on November 29 last year.

He also admitted three counts of making or downloading indecent images of children between January 2012 and August 2016.

The court heard he had 51 images in the most serious Category A showing adults sexually abusing children.

He also had 64 images in Category B and 40 in Category C.

Hall finally had 105 prohibited image of a children – usually vile cartoons.

Francesca Whebell, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said police traced the downloading of indecent images to an IP address at Hall’s home.

She added that he immediately confessed to looking for the vile pictures.

Ali Rafati, for Hall, handed in a sheath of character references on his behalf.

He added the defendant had been “refreshingly honest” when others had sought to make excuses.

Mr Rafati said: “This was a life without any blemish”.

The barrister said that the bullets had been mounted as an ornament and were incapable of being fired.

He added Hall had found them in the garage of a family friend who had passed away.

The bullets, dated back to 1942, are intended to light up when fired to illuminate their path.

Mr Rafati said the defendant had meant to hand them to police, but simply left them in a drawer.

Hall was handed a 32-week prison sentence, suspended for two months. He was ordered to pay £350 costs.