In the dock: Albert Patterson (pictured) said he kept the 9mm pistol, taken from an Argentinian officer, to remind him of the 22 friends who died in the conflict

An SAS hero was yesterday jailed for the illegal possession of a souvenir weapon captured in the Falklands War.

Albert Patterson said he kept the 9mm pistol, taken from an Argentinian officer, to remind him of the 22 friends who died in the conflict.

He served for 22 years, in the Parachute Regiment and then in the SAS. Last night his supporters said the case was 'another example of troops being persecuted by a government and courts obsessed with political correctness'.

Sentencing him to 15 months in prison for the possession of the war trophy, Judge Christopher Plunkett said that he had been privileged to see Patterson's service record.

But he said parliamentary legislation left him with little choice over the sentence.

'In the wrong hands these weapons could lead to the death of police officers or cause all sorts of mayhem,' Judge Plunkett told Hereford Crown Court. 'It is this risk that Parliament is concerned about.'

Patterson had admitted possessing a 9mm self-loading pistol, five rounds of expanding ammunition, 177 rounds of 9mm ammunition, four Enfield pistols and a self-loading rifle component.

Stephen Davies, prosecuting, said the hoard was found by police investigating a burglary following his divorce at his former home in Hereford. Patterson was arrested in November 2014.

The court heard Patterson had an illustrious career and served in the military for 22 years - starting in the parachute regiment before joining the SAS.

After leaving the elite regiment he worked abroad for non-government organisations in Iraq and Afghanistan and now lives in Thailand.

Judge Christopher Plunkett said that he had been privileged to see Patterson's service record

Cache: The former soldier had a 9mm self-loading pistol, five rounds of expanding ammunition, 177 rounds of 9mm ammunition, four Enfield pistols (file picture) and a self-loading rifle component.

Scott Coughtrie, defending, said: 'He spent a great deal of time abroad protecting our country and our way of life.

'In his history he has dealt with the most sensitive and dangerous operations this country is to bare.

'These weapons were never loaded or used in the UK and had never been in the public domain.

'He said he received said pistol as a trophy of war from the Falklands and the ammunition during his military service.

'They weren't hanging on the wall but were hidden.

'He led a frantic lifestyle involving preparing for an operation, being deployed before returning and preparing for the next operation.

'Things got missed during his 15 years working in the SAS.

'When asked why he didn't hand them in he said he worked abroad for 15 of the last 20 years and wasn't back when there was an amnesty.

'If he handed them back to the military he would have been subject to prosecution.

'They were memorial and he hoped to decommission them.'

Albert Patterson said he kept the 9mm pistol, taken from an Argentinian officer, to remind him of the 22 friends who died in the conflict. Pictured, Argentine army soldiers take position during the Falkland War

Judge Christopher Plunkett said that he had been privileged to see Patterson's service record. But he said parliamentary legislation left him with little choice over the sentence. Pictured, an Argentine aircraft

The court heard Patterson risked capture by ISIS by helping locals have access to electricity and water in the Afghanistan.

Mr Coughtrie added: 'This stuff got placed to the back of his mind.

'Patterson has been preparing for the likelihood of custody not only through providing for his family but also working on a project in Afghanistan in the Helmand Province with a local agency making sure they have electricity and water.

'He has a long-term relationship with locals meaning he can access these areas all while risking capture by ISIS.

'He has put his own problems in the rear of his mind.'

Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, blasted the sentence and called for Patterson's 'immediate' release from prison.

He said: 'This is another example of our troops being persecuted by a government and courts obsessed with political correctness.

'An SAS hero who risked his life to defend our country shouldn't be treated like a south London drug dealer.

'He should be freed immediately. The country should be grateful for what he did.'

The case echoes that of Sergeant Danny Nightingale who was sent to a military detention centre for 18 months in 2012 after pleading guilty to possessing a Glock 9mm pistol.

Following a public campaign which saw more than 107,000 people sign a petition for his release, a Court of Appeal ruled his sentence had been too harsh.

Home: An aerial view of the SAS base near Hereford where Bert Patterson was based in his illustrious career