Man arrested before Barack Obama's speech had firearm in his home

Akram Arebi was found to have the air rifle in his basement flat below his cafe in Glasgow's Finnieston.

Dramatic photos captured the 44-year-old being held on November 8, 2021 - around the time ex-US president Obama was arriving to speak at the Scottish Event Campus.

Arebi later said he had the weapon to help make a "peace and love" sculpture - and a bullet was also to be an "ornament".

He pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to possession of an air weapon and having live ammunition with the relevant certificate.

Arebi could have faced jail - but was instead put on a 12-week curfew.

He had previously been locked up at the same court in February 2022 for stalking a woman, who considered fleeing to England to get away from him.

Arebi played Iron Maiden's track Run to the Hills through her Bluetooth speaker as he prowled outside her home.

In connection with the latest crime, Arebi was originally held by police on November 6, 2021 for an "unrelated matter".

He was bailed the next day by a sheriff.

A firearms search warrant was then granted for Arebi's business premises and his basement home below in the city's Argyle Street.

His flat was noted to have exposed wiring, water and electricity running from the cafe above.

Due to safety concerns, the property was not searched until the following day.

Fiscal Jessica McGowan said: "Officers recovered a bullet within a green coloured ceramic pot located on a shelf of a unit in the bedroom.

"This was manufactured in Romania.

"The article is considered live ammunition suitable for use in appropriately chambered rifles such as the AK-47 and light machine guns.

"Also during the search officers recovered a rifle leaning against the wall within the storage room."

Officers packaged the firearm and it was sent to the ballistics department.

It was described as a "spring operating air rifle" manufactured by British company Webley and Scott.

Miss McGowan said: "It was designed to discharge air gun pellets and it was in working order."

Arebi - who has a previous conviction for a firearms offence - was found not to have a licence for the gun.

He was arrested again on November 8 during the dramatic police swoop.

When quizzed, Arebi mentioned the start of the Libyan civil war and had obtained the bullet from a fellow countryman living in Scotland who had moved to Saudi Arabia.

He claimed this person had intended it for a necklace but Arebi requested it to be used as an ornament.

Miss McGowan added: "He stated that he obtained the air rifle from (a man) who resides in Girvan, Ayrshire.

"He was having a clear out of unwanted items and stated that Arebi may wish to use it to create a sculpture."

When cautioned and charged for the bullet, he replied: "It was just an ornament, as I told you."

In relation to the gun, he said: "I was just going to use it for love and peace, it was an antique."

Ryan Sloan, defending, told the court that the rifle had been lying in the storage room for some time.

The lawyer added: "He wanted to make a sculpture out of it - peace and love was the intention.

"He did not know it was illegal to possess these items.

"He had a public arrest and a loss of his business.

"Due to the nature of his business it could not suffer that and it is a matter of regret he lost his livelihood as a result of his arrest."

Sheriff Shona Gilroy tagged Arebi for 84 days keeping him indoors between 7pm and 7am.