AN ACTOR who appeared in the movie Braveheart has secured bail from the Court of Criminal Appeal pending the outcome of his appeal against a two-year sentence for importing 10 stun guns.
The three-judge appeal court, with Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan presiding and sitting with Mr Justice Paul Gilligan and Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne, yesterday granted bail to Robert Scales (37) of Waterloo Road, Dublin.
He has appealed the severity of a two-year sentence imposed upon him by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Court after he pleaded guilty to possession of firearms at his home on November 14th, 2007.
Scales claimed he did not know the weapons were illegal here when he imported them from Thailand, and that he intended to sell them to taxi drivers.
He had wanted to see whether there would be a market for the weapons.
The court granted bail after counsel for Scales, Pieter Le Vert, argued that his client’s appeal against severity stood a good chance of success and because he would have served a significant part, if not all, of his sentence before his appeal could be heard.
Counsel said the trial judge had erred by failing to take significant account of his client’s personal circumstances, and also erred when formulating sentence in using the term “lethal” regarding the stun guns.
Counsel argued these were in fact not lethal weapons.
Mr Le Vert said his client was “a highly educated and intelligent man” who has appeared in several films such as King Arthur and Braveheart. His client was an accomplished computer technician and has a fiancee in Thailand.
Counsel for the DPP opposed bail.