Weapon obsessive used 3D printer to make gun parts
BBCA man with an "extremely concerning obsession" with weapons and fantasy violence used a 3D printer to illegally make gun parts, a court has heard.
Paul Dunlavy, 31, created several plastic sections which could have been used to make a viable firearm, Newcastle Crown Court was told.
He admitted possessing a firearm without a certificate and two knives, which put him in breach of a suspended sentence imposed in 2024 for making indecent images of children.
Dunlavy, from Newcastle, was jailed for 11 months for the sentence breach and given an 18-month community order to work with the probation service to address his fixation with firearms.
After being arrested, Dunlavy told police he had been making toys and had no intention to create a working gun, prosecutor Nicoleta Alistari said.
Recorder Marco Guiliani said the parts Dunlavy had made were "essential components" for a gun which could be combined with "readily available" materials to make a functioning weapon.
The judge said it was "clear" Dunlavy had an "extremely concerning obsession" with military hardware and "fantasy films involving fantasy violence".
He said the public would be best protected if Dunlavy worked with the probation service to address his "obsession", so made him subject to the community order along with 150 hours of unpaid work.
But before he can start that, the judge jailed Dunlavy for 11 months for breaching a suspended sentence imposed in 2024 for three counts of making indecent images of children.