History buff Samaritans volunteer, 74, caught with a 'staggering' collection of AK-47s, machine guns, revolvers and rifles when a fire broke out at his 10-room Edwardian home is jailed for five years

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History lover: Pensioner Paul Bushell, 74, (pictured) has been jailed for five years after being caught with a huge arsenal of weapons including AK-47s, rifles and pistols

An 'obsessive' Samaritans volunteer with a love of history was caught stashing an illegal arsenal of 160 guns and ammunition when a fire broke out at his 10-bedroom Edwardian home.

Paul Bushell, 74, even kept his collection secret from his family - hiding Russian AKM-47s, machine guns, revolvers, rifles and pistols in his study, loft and basement - but firefighters discovered the haul as they tackled the blaze.

Bushell said he was interested in history, particularly the world wars, and told police he thought it was legal to keep antique weapons.

He insisted he did not plan to sell the guns, but officers said it would have been 'catastrophic' if the 'staggering' collection had been burgled or fallen into the hands of criminals.

Despite having no links to organised crime, nor any indication he was working as an underworld armourer, the pensioner was today jailed for five years.

Bushell pleaded guilty to seven charges of possessing a prohibited weapon and six counts of possessing ammunition for a firearm without a certificate. 

Maidstone Crown Court heard Bushell was obsessive about guns and illegally reactivated many of the weapons after buying them at arms fairs. Police found instructions on reactivating guns on a computer seized at his home.  

The 74-year-old pensioner, who created 'no go' areas in his property and also fired some of his weapons within its confines, was said to have an 'encyclopaedic knowledge', making him fully aware of the danger his collection posed.

Among the collection were assault rifles, machine guns, semi-automatic The cache of approximately 160 weapons were found by firefighters tackling an electrical blaze at the Edwardian property in Gillingham, Kent, which 74-year-old Bushell shared with his wife. 

None were secured in gun cabinets and some of the firearms were in a reactivated condition and loaded, Maidstone Crown Court in Kent heard.

Police seized this Armalite AR-10 assault rifle with 7.62mm ammunition as part of the haul

This Kalashnikov, pictured, has been fitted with a bayonet to increase its killing potential

The collection was hidden in Bushell's home although none of the weapons were secure

Bushell, pictured with his wife, later wrote to the fire brigade to express his remorse by placing them in danger as a result of his illegal horde of ammunition which could have exploded

The former oil industry supervisor was enjoying a friend's 70th birthday lunch on May 7 when he learnt of the fire at his home.

He told a fellow guest 'I have done something wrong. I might be in a lot of trouble', before adding 'I need to get away before the police get me'.

Prosecutor Ian Foinette said: 'It was a reference, although not understood by those he said it to at the time, to his knowledge that the fire brigade would have discovered an arsenal of weapons in the house.'

Miraculously, none of the weapons or cartridges exploded in the blaze which destroyed much of the 10-roomed house.

Kent Fire Brigade found the illegal arsenal while fighting a blaze at Bushell's home in Gillingham, Kent on May 7 while he was with a friend for their 70th birthday lunch

The fire-ravaged study where some of Bushell's collection of antique weapons were found 

Firefighters found a number of weapons in the basement, loft and study at Bushell's home

There was also no evidence that any had been used to commit crimes or that the magistrates' court witness service volunteer was an 'underworld armourer', said Mr Foinette.

The grandfather admitted seven offences of possessing a prohibited weapon and six of possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate.

The guns included a 9mm Luger (9x19mm) calibre Sten Mk2 hybrid, a .303 British calibre Mk1 general purpose machine gun, an Armalite model AR10 assault rifle, an M10 submachine gun, a Kommando semi-automatic pistol, an AKM47 assault rifle, and a FN model 1910 semi-automatic pistol.

Passing sentence today Judge Philip Statman said there were no exceptional circumstances which would allow a shorter sentence than the law required.

'These are all grave offences committed by you, a person who knew exactly what you were doing, knowing well fine what the law requires,' the judge said.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Bushell, pictured, became increasingly misanthropic, spending more time on his own and more obsessed with his hobby

'You did everything you could to enhance your collection without due regard for the real importance of complying with the law.

'You knew what the law said, you chose to ignore the law.

'You posed at your home address a very considerable risk to the community as a whole.

'I have no hesitation in indicating that this is a case where the minimum sentence must apply.'

He added: 'It goes without saying that there is an irresistible conclusion to be drawn that you more than anyone would know the danger in possessing weapons of this kind.

'The destruction that potentially they can cause, particularly should they fall into the hands of criminals.

'While it is not suggested you have any connection with the dark web, you obtained parts for your collection at various arms fairs where you seem to be well-known and trusted within the collection community.

'It doesn't take an enormous amount of imagination to see the risk that would take place within the community as a whole if your home had ever been burgled.

'We live in very dangerous times. Indeed for this collection to have the potential to be taken from your home and used elsewhere causes this court very profound concern indeed.'

Bushell, who walks with a stick, waved at his wife sitting in the public gallery as he was led slowly from the dock to the court cells.

Such was the size of the arsenal that it took police four days to search and recover all the guns from a basement workshop and a top-floor room.

'Approximately 160 weapons were found and a considerable amount of ammunition,' added Mr Foinette.

'It seems for many years he has been collecting guns. His principal interest had been clocks, taking them apart and putting them back together. Much the same was happening with the firearms concerned.

'None of the weapons were in a particularly secure area and although the door was periodically locked, there were no gun cabinets.

'Given the number of weapons there, it is difficult to say short of a full-scale armoury how that could have been done in any event.

'The concerns the fire brigade and police had were that the ammunition could have easily exploded in the fire.

'Also, weapons were not secure and some were loaded, and had the house been broken into they would have been stolen and ready to use.'

Bushell's collection included this WWII-era Sten MkII machine gun

The fearsome collection of weapons included this M-10 sub machine gun, pictured

His family was said to have not known about his secret collection, which evolved from an 'absolute fascination' when given his first gun at the age of 11 by his firearms instructor father into an 'obsession and compulsion' in later years.

'One of the worries the police had was how he had managed to keep all of these weapons in the house without anyone else knowing about it,' Mr Foinette told the court.

'They spoke to various family members and they indicated that other than ornamental weapons they knew nothing about those recovered and which were prohibited.

'They indicated the defendant was somewhat eccentric and had other interests, and he told one member of his family that he had ammunition and had loaded a gun 'because he could'.'

The court was told the charges on the indictment reflected just a sample of what was discovered.

Bushell's barrister Benjamin Hargreaves had urged the court to consider an alternative punishment to jail, despite the 'extraordinary' volume of weapons and cartridges.

Mr Hargreaves said the father of three 'liked having his secret' but was now genuinely sorry and had written to the fire brigade expressing his relief that no explosion occurred.

'No one else knew about it and that gave him pleasure. His knowledge about all these things gave him pleasure.

'It was something for him and him only and not to be shared with other people.

'He must have been aware of the dangers but because of his compulsion and obsession he put that to one side.

'It was purely for self-indulgent reasons, criminality was never considered by him and at his age, do you have to accept that the only thing we can do is send him to prison?'

References handed to the court included one from a magistrate.

Mr Hargreaves told the court it was 'unfair' to dismiss his client as being eccentric, having spent his childhood surrounded by weapons brought home by his father and now possessing an 'encyclopaedic knowledge' of his collection and its history.

'He received as a present his first firearm at the age of 11. It began an absolute fascination with weaponry and expanded to any mechanical object,' he said.

'He is a collector of guns, clocks, engines, household appliances, all of which he can take apart, recondition, and put back together.

'It was an obsession, but a genuine and pure obsession.'

Mr Hargreaves added: 'He knew this obsessive collecting was breaking the law. But it was done not through the dark web or by meeting strange men behind pubs. It was at boot fairs, arms fairs and military fairs.

Several of the weapons found by police at Bushell's home were loaded with ammunition

Police spent four days searching the house in Gillingham, Kent, searching for the weapons

'He was such a regular attendee that traders would offer him things they knew they weren't permitted to sell.

'He had an obsessive compulsion to add to his collection. Not to display or show off to others but to take it apart and to understand it.'

The court also heard that although intelligent, Bushell had an irascible temper. He had fallen out with his children and was estranged from his grandchildren.

'He has become increasingly misanthropic, spending more time on his own and more obsessed with his hobby.

'His wife and children genuinely had no idea. He was completely secretive and forbade anyone from going in the rooms where he would lock himself in.'

The court was told that Bushell suffers from diabetes and depression, and may have been affected mentally by witnessing public beheadings, hangings and shootings while working in the Middle East in the 1970s and 1980s.

Bushell also had this 9mm Luger calibre Kommando semi-automatic pistol

Judge Statman ordered the forfeiture of the weapons and all of the ammunition 

Since retiring, Bushell has volunteered with the Samaritans and Witness Service. He is also a tour guide at the Napoleonic Fort Amherst in Chatham, Kent.

The court heard Bushell had legitimately owned shotguns in the past.

Judge Statman also ordered the forfeiture of the weapons and ammunition, although he was told Kent Police hoped to retain some for museum display.

In his letter to the fire brigade, Bushell wrote of his genuine remorse and relief.

He said: 'Since the fire I have been having nightmares of what could have happened to the brave and courageous personnel of the Kent Fire Service.

'I thank them for saving my house from destruction. I am so remorseful of putting them in such extreme danger but also I am relieved that none of them were injured.'

Having read it out in court, Judge Statman remarked: 'How right you were in terms of those observations.'

After Bushell's arrest, police found links to websites on his computer detailing how deactivated guns could be reassembled.

The judge said significant mitigation meant he did not have to impose a jail sentence above the minimum five years.