Original Space 1999 Stun Gun Stolen

...35 years ago and then offered to me for sale


Man tries to sell TV prop 35 years after nicking it from expo | The Sun |News

The Sun newspaper stole one of my photos of a Stun gun :rolleyes


Here is the message that he posted
***************
"Don't know if you're interested anymore, but I have an original Stun Gun from Space 1999 for sale. It came from the Gerry Anderson exhibition in 1977. I have to be honest, I stole it! I was a bit of a "do anything for a dare" type back then at 11 and really wanted one of these guns. Being egged on by 2 friends, we went down there one afternoon after school. The guns (3 of them?) were in the last display case near the exit (to an amusement arcade). There were no attendants in there at all and it was pretty quiet. While my friends kept watch at the exit, I smashed the glass with a large stone we had got from the beach. I grabbed the nearest gun, at the front and RAN!. We ran down the stairs and out onto Blackpool prom where we made our way to the cafe owned by my friend's dad. Never been so scared in my lfe, but we got away with it.
Anyway, I'm waffling. I recently came across this gun last week in my parent's attic and have no interest in it anymore. A guy at a comic shop near me told me to come to this site. I'm not a fan of science fiction or Space 1999 at all so I don't know how much it's worth although the comic bloke said to expect at least a few hundred quid!
It's in what I would call "good" condition. It's made of light wood (very dissapointed when I first got it- I was expecting metal!), has metal barrels on the front and 2 round metal dials on the side. It has a stun/kill switch on top (metal and wood) that still slides but is very loose, so it slides across when you pick it up), and some of the paint is missing on the left hand side, exposing wood underneath. It has a few chips on the edges too.
Open to good offers, and I would prefer if any buyer would come to pick it up in person at my house near Blackpool.
My number is 07425 *2*71* (phone up to midnight, text anytime)
Not interested in swapping for anything. Sell only.
Thanks."

And no one tried to get his info?

Hopefully it will go back to its original owner

apollo said:

Hopefully it will go back to its original owner

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If the original owner can be traced, Phil Rae has since stated that it was not his.

The police have all of the guys details but not sure if they will do anything after 35 years, especially if he was only 11 at the time.

It's possible that the only legal action they could even take would be to confiscate it and return it to the original owner. The original owner would have to come forward and probably prove it was originally his. If that doesn't happen, I doubt they'd do anything. Like you said, 35 years ago, and he was a minor at the time (well, by US laws anyway, not exactly sure how the UK would handle that...)

Not sure about the UK, but in the US I believe the statute of limitation for theft is 7 years, so he couldn't be prosecuted anyway. But you might still have to forfeit the property if ordered to do so...

Either way, admitting you stole it is kind of stupid...

Wow did'nt know Phil recanted his claim.

I wonder if anyone can claim it then as it probably "walked" off the set

Megamicrofish said:

If the original owner can be traced, Phil Rae has since stated that it was not his.

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Im afraid that Phil cannot own everything that is Space 1999. It would probably have been sold by him at any rate if he owned it.

Bottom line this was owned by Anderson productions back in the 1970's and then either sold to the owner of the exhibition or it was still owned by them. The latter is likely.

Statute of Limitations is 7 years if a police report was filed....I doubt one ever was.

Im not really sure you can blame the man after all these years...11 years old.....he was full of **** and vinegar...lol.

A good story none the same.

The statute of limitations is only on criminal suits, I believe. The original owner could still file a civil suit and take him to court to get the piece back and probably some damages.

Cj

What an idiot!

This should be returned to the original owner, not selling it. If this guy did that he might have been looked upon differently and not just like a simple thief.

don't know about the laws in britian, but in the US, he can still be charged for possession of stolen items, even after 35 years. But it just sounds like a fake thing. I mean who in their right mind would go onto a internet site, advertise a stolen original prop and put his real phone number? Either it's a prank or this person is a total idiot!

:lol You would be surprised! :lol

bondfan2000 said:

don't know about the laws in britian, but in the US, he can still be charged for possession of stolen items, even after 35 years. But it just sounds like a fake thing. I mean who in their right mind would go onto a internet site, advertise a stolen original prop and put his real phone number? Either it's a prank or this person is a total idiot!

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You know what the classy thing to do would be, for him to return it and apologize. That would show that he is a moral man who knows he made a mistake when he was a child.

If he sells it then, forgive me here, but he is a piece of crap. I hope if he DOESN'T do the right thing that they sue and get it from him.

But I figure nothing will happen. Meh. Bah Humbug.

Wait, wait...that pic was just for reference, right?

-Rylo