'PC' Helmets - or 'PC' Gone Awry?

[kport]

From the Daily Mail:

A police uniform trader who sold helmets and truncheons to the BBC, ITV and prestigious theatres has been prosecuted after being unable to prove they were not being bought by potential terrorists.

Ronald Cooke, 67, provided hundreds of vintage and modern police uniforms for film studios and even sold helmets to the National Theatre in London for a number of productions.

'For example, we sold helmets to the National Theatre of Holland for their production of Billy Elliot because they wanted policeman from the miners' strike in the 1980s.

'I also sold some tunics and helmets to the set of a film featuring Michael Caine, as well as to the BBC and ITV and the National Theatre in London.

'Of course I sell to individuals but I always talk to them and I know what they want them for.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rists.html

[Borrobil]

What a waste of the courts time and money. The act says nothing about sale only lawful obtaining and possession, and he had a lawful reason for possession, so the high court should reverse it unless I'm missing something. (and BETM is legal on that count at least)

Police Act 1996 section 90(3)

Any person who, not being a member of a police force or special constable, has in his possession any article of police uniform shall, unless he proves that he obtained possession of that article lawfully and has possession of it for a lawful purpose, be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale.

[StevenKing]

I don't know...those actors look awfully dodgy to me...and its a fact they made those police zombies in the walking dead harder to kill. You've got to take all possibilities into account.

[kport]

He won the appeal:

http://www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk/n ... -1-7022513