A CHARITY volunteer accidentally brandished a stun gun to police as she went to make a complaint about her stepdaughter.

Alexandra Piner, attended Clacton Police Station to report the domestic issues she was having.

As she was speaking to police staff, she presented the taser and said if she was targeted again then she would threaten her stepdaughter with the electric weapon to deter her.

She was then told she should not have the weapon, which is legal in her native Brazil, and asked to attend an interview.

Piner, of High Street, Dovercourt, was later charged and admitted to possession of a weapon for the discharge of electricity at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

The incident happened in October last year.

Simon Ralph, mitigating said the gun had been stored in Piner’s home by her husband who had acquired it during his work in the film industry.

He said: “She has no previous convictions and is of a positive and impeccable character.

“She works for a living and having come to this country on a spouse visa a year ago worked with charities in order to help others in the community.

“She is very upset about ending up here.

“It seems through his employment her husband has ended up with the stun gun which is in fact a working film prop.

“He kept it at home under the mattress.

“She made the fatal mistake of putting it in her pocket.

“It is a legal weapon in Brazil.

“She never had any intention of using it, perhaps just pressing the button so it sparked.”

Magistrates described the situation as “a very unusual set of circumstances” but decided the issue was aggravated by the fact the stun gun was always ready to be used because it was charged up.

They ordered the 38-year-old to pay a £213 fine, £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

The stun gun will be destroyed.