A Metropolitan Police officer had his personal firearm collection seized after colleagues discovered journal entries referencing Jack the Ripper and describing an "arsenal" of weapons, Mold Crown Court has heard. PC Dermot McCabe, 29, a law graduate who moved from Wales to join the London force, had his firearms certificate revoked and was placed on desk duties after Met colleagues forced entry to his flat over concerns for his well-being and found the journal.

The entries that caused concern included references to the notorious East London killer, along with phrases such as "We live and die by the gun" and "I've become a force to be reckoned with", the court was told. McCabe was appealing against the revocation, arguing the entries had been taken out of context and were not sinister. North Wales Police, represented by Gareth Preston, cited his apparent reluctance to disclose the journal, and noted he had wanted to hold up to 2,000 rounds of ammunition plus rifles and a shotgun, had referred to a "full arsenal of firearms with my armour", and, when questioned about owning a ballistic helmet, said he had been doing "market research".