Air Rifle Shocks Mosque Witnesses

​A motorist caught brandishing a loaded weapon outside a York place of worship has walked free from court after convincing magistrates he was only hunting rabbits.

​Ian Peart, 44, triggered an emergency response in the early hours of July 30 when witnesses heard loud bangs echoing near the York Mosque. A local resident reported seeing a man leaning out of a vehicle parked by the gates, wielding a scoped rifle, and hastily drove away with the car door still open.

​However, York Magistrates’ Court heard that North Yorkshire Police ultimately accepted Peart’s account. Prosecutors confirmed there was zero evidence linking the late-night incident to anti-Muslim sentiment, noting that the defendant—a part-time pest controller—was merely testing an infra-red scope on a .22 air rifle when he targeted local wildlife in a nearby car park.

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​Bench chairmen told Peart that proximity to the building was entirely irrelevant, emphasizing there was no suggestion the structure or its occupants were targeted.

​Peart admitted a single charge of possessing a loaded air weapon in a public place. He was handed a £317 fine alongside £199 in costs and surcharges, and was permitted to retain his firearm due to its necessity for his professional pest control duties.