A holidaymaker who thought he would get “a slap on the wrist” if he was caught bringing stun guns into the country has been jailed for five years.

A judge rejected a plea of exceptional circumstances for Niall Dinsmore to avoid the minimum prison term for firearms offences.

Dinsmore was caught with five stun guns disguised as torches and five batons after he arrived at Edinburgh Airport from a break in Bulgaria.

The judge was told he planned to keep one of the stun guns and give others away to friends and relatives.

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Lord Boyd of Duncansby told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: “With regret I have concluded there are no exceptional circumstances in your case.

“You intended, on your account, to gift a stun gun and a baton to a chosen few. Together these weapons are of considerable potency.”

The judge said Dinsmore, 28, of Bansbridge, Northern Ireland, would have been putting the weapons beyond his control and could not know where they would have ended up.

Lord Boyd said while Dinsmore did not appreciate the seriousness of what he was doing he knew it was wrong, which distinguished his case from others where exceptional circumstances were argued.

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Dinsmore earlier admitted being illegally in possession of disguised firearms and being in possession of offensive weapons, namely the batons.

He was held at the airport on August 31 last year as he returned from holiday with his girlfriend Kerri Luff, from Dundee.

The court heard he bought them as presents as he thought they were “unusual”.

Prosecutor Shirley McKenna said: “He thought he would get a slap on the wrist if caught.”

Defence solicitor advocate Richard Souter said the items he arrived at the airport with were for sale in supermarkets in the eastern European country where he and his girlfriend had been visiting with another couple.

He said they were bought for about 20 lev each, approximately £10.

Mr Souter said: “His intention was to give them as gifts to some friends and relations. He saw them as something different.”

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He added Dinsmore accepted it showed his naivety.

On arrival at the airport, Border Force personnel took Dinsmore to a poster of contraband items and asked if he had any. He said he did.

Mr Souter said Dinsmore had fully cooperated with the authorities.

He said: “It was clear he had no idea how serious it was. It was clear he had no idea they were classified as firearms.”

“He appeared to be shocked when he was told he had imported firearms.”

Lord Boyd told Dinsmore he had read references submitted on his behalf which made it clear he was well regarded in the community, by his employer and by family and friends.

The judge said he accepted he was ashamed and embarrassed by the incident and had shown a significant degree of remorse for his actions.