A teenage waiter caught in illegal possession of bullets was “a decent young man who made a mistake,” a judge said today.

Mohammed Mir, 19, was found to have three American Winchester bulleted cartridges when police searched his home.

He pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to possessing ammunition for a firearm without a certificate in March 2008.

Prosecutor Soheil Khan said police discovered the bullets by Mir’s bed during a routine search of his address, at Lilycroft Road, Manningham, Bradford. He had been arrested on an unrelated matter not proceeded with when he was 17.

He told officers he had found the ammunition near his home.

Mir’s barrister, Elyas Patel, said his client presented to the court as “a very petrified young man”. He had no weapon capable of firing the bullets and there was no evidence he had any sinister intention.

Recorder Mark Bury sentenced Mir to 36 weeks in custody suspended for 12 months and ordered him to do 240 hours’ unpaid work.