James Maxwell, a 28-year-old particular person from Leven, has been sentenced to 5 years in jail after he tried to buy a Glock firearm and ammunition from america through the darkish net. Maxwell’s alarming on-line actions included looking for data associated to the tragic Dunblane bloodbath and researching the vacation schedules of colleges in December final yr.
The Excessive Courtroom in Edinburgh convened for Maxwell’s sentencing, the place he appeared through video hyperlink from HMP Perth. His responsible plea encompassed six prices, together with possession of indecent pictures of a kid, which led to a nine-year prolonged sentence, comprising 5 years in custody and a further 4 years underneath supervision upon launch. Choose Lord Ericht, presiding over the case, emphasised the severity of Maxwell’s actions, deeming him a big risk to public security.
Maxwell’s responsible plea in September pertained to his try to amass a prohibited weapon with out the requisite authorization or firearms certificates between December 1, 2022, and January 11, 2023. As well as, he admitted to making an attempt to import the firearm and ammunition from america unlawfully, in addition to possessing and trying to amass ammunition with out authorized permission.
Throughout the sentencing, Choose Lord Ericht highlighted Maxwell’s alarming web searches, revealing that he had explored the Dunblane faculty bloodbath and first faculties in Glasgow. The court docket was additionally knowledgeable that the ammunition Maxwell tried to obtain was able to inflicting considerably better hurt than commonplace ammunition and had been bought via the darkish net utilizing cryptocurrency.
Regardless of Maxwell’s troubled background and difficult upbringing, his actions had been deemed to pose an imminent risk to public security, prompting the court docket to impose a rigorous sentence. The diligent actions of US regulation enforcement officers and Police Scotland had been lauded for intercepting the firearm and ammunition, averting potential catastrophic penalties. Maxwell has additionally been mandated to stay on the Intercourse Offenders’ Register for a interval of seven years.
In his protection, Maxwell’s authorized consultant, Jonathan Crowe, underscored his shopper’s tumultuous upbringing, marked by familial challenges and emotional misery. Maxwell’s remoted way of life, characterised by a heavy reliance on on-line actions and a scarcity of significant social interactions, was attributed to his turbulent previous and psychological struggles.
The case of James Maxwell serves as a stark reminder of the crucial significance of vigilant monitoring and proactive intervention in stopping potential threats to public security, underscoring the importance of sturdy regulation enforcement measures in addressing on-line illicit actions and safeguarding communities from potential hurt.
