Paedophile who bought gun on the dark web and searched the internet for ‘Dunblane,’ ‘primary schools in Glasgow’ and ‘when do schools break up for Christmas’ is jailed for five years

• James Maxwell, 28, was arrested in January after police uncovered the plot

A paedophile who bought a gun from the US on the dark web, and searched the internet for the 1996 Dunblane school massacre, has been jailed for five years.

James Maxwell, 28, from Leven, Fife, had searched the web for ‘Dunblane,’ ‘primary schools in Glasgow’ and ‘when do schools break up for Christmas holidays.’

He was arrested in January and charged with two counts of purchasing and attempting to acquire and possess a firearm. 

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Thursday that the firearms were intercepted before they arrived at Maxwell’s address and he was subsequently arrested. 

Maxwell appeared by video link from HMP Perth for sentencing following an earlier hearing at which he admitted six charges, including being in possession of indecent images of a child.

James Maxwell, 28, from Leven, Fife, was handed a nine-year extended sentence comprising five years in prison and a further four years when he will be monitored after release

Investigators from the Organised Crime Partnership found the ‘deeply sinister’ searches when they seized Maxwell’s phone. 

The Dunblane school massacre occurred on March 13 in 1996 when 43-year-old gunman Thomas Hamilton invaded a primary school and shot dead 16 children and a teacher before killing himself. 

Judge Lord Ericht handed Maxwell a nine-year extended sentence comprising five years in prison and a further four years when he will be monitored after release from jail, telling him: ‘You are a grave risk to public safety.’

In September, Maxwell pleaded guilty to purchasing and attempting to acquire a prohibited weapon without permission or without holding a firearms certificate between December 1, 2022 and January 11, 2023.

Maxwell also admitted buying and attempting to acquire and possess ammunition, as well as attempting to import the firearm from the US and bullets without lawful authority.

He pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography between April 22, 2022 and January 11, 2023 as well as possessing extreme images involving animals.

During sentencing, judge Lord Ericht told Maxwell: ‘You did a search for when the schools broke up for Christmas 2022.

‘You also searched the Dunblane school massacre and primary schools in Glasgow.’

Lord Ericht told the court the ammunition Maxwell had ordered would cause ‘greater injury’ than standard use ammunition and it had not been lawfully acquired in the UK.

He added: ‘You purchased them on the dark web, you bought them from the USA and you paid for them with crypto currency.’

The Dunblane school massacre occurred on March 13 in 1996 when 43-year-old gunman Thomas Hamilton invaded a primary school and shot dead 16 children and a teacher before killing himself

Sixteen children and teacher Gwen Mayor were murdered by gunman Thomas Hamilton when he opened fire on a gym class on March 13, 1996

Prosecutors said Maxwell’s plans were thwarted after US authorities alerted Police Scotland after finding and removing a Glock 17 handgun and ammunition in a UK-bound mail package which included Maxwell’s address and phone number.

Four days later, a package containing the empty Glock gun box and two ammunition boxes was delivered to Maxwell’s home and officers arrived with a search warrant and found it in his bedroom.

Lord Ericht added: ‘One hundred rounds of that kind of ammunition used would have been unimaginable.

‘You are a grave risk to public safety.’

Concluding, Lord Ericht said: ‘I commend both the USA law officers and Police Scotland for their actions in ensuring the gun and ammunition were not received by you.’

In September, Maxwell pleaded guilty to purchasing and attempting to acquire a prohibited weapon without permission or without holding a firearms certificate

Maxwell will also be placed on the sex offenders register for a period of seven years.

His lawyer, Jonathan Crowe, told the court in mitigation that Maxwell had a ‘troubled upbringing’ and left secondary school aged 13 following the death of his father by suicide.

He subsequently failed to return to any kind of education or employment, and Mr Crowe told the court Maxwell never received any support to do so.

Mr Crowe said: ‘He spent time in his room playing games and watching DVDs and his life has followed the same pattern ever since.’

A psychiatric assessment found Maxwell described himself as ‘suicidal for many years’, Mr Crowe said.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Thursday that the firearms were intercepted before they arrived at Maxwell’s address and he was subsequently arrested

It also said he had no contact with the outside world and Maxwell ‘lived online for many years’.

As a result, the psychiatric report said, Maxwell developed ‘Americanised’ values, common among those who spend time online, particularly around guns, which made his behaviour seem ‘odd’ when compared to the norms of British society.

Mr Crowe told the court Maxwell was simply unaware of the severity of what he had done or that gun ownership in the UK was unusual or unlawful.

He added: ‘Locking Mr Maxwell in a prison cell is going to do little for him given the circumstances,’ and called for leniency in sentencing him.

Rob Miles, Branch Commander of the National Crime Agency Scotland said: ‘That Maxwell was researching school shootings and term dates while trying to obtain a deadly weapon and ammunition is deeply sinister and disturbing.

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‘This operation has removed a dangerous individual from the community, and we work tirelessly to protect the public from the trade in illegal firearms..’

Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: ‘James Maxwell has been prosecuted in the High Court in relation to a number of very serious offences by trying to import a handgun and ammunition into Scotland.

‘This weapon could have been used for devastating purposes.

‘Thanks to the work of law enforcement agencies and close collaboration with COPFS, this gun was removed from criminal circulation and the accused will now spend a significant period in prison as a result of his criminal actions.’

Police Scotland Detective Chief Inspector Stevie Elliott said: ‘James Maxwell was willing to risk the safety of the public by bringing a deadly weapon into the country.

‘His activities were brought to light during an intelligence-led operation by the Organised Crime Partnership and I want to thank all those involved for bringing him to justice.’

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