A Class A drug peddler caught with a charged up stun gun told police he "didn't think it was illegal" and had even stunned himself with it once.
Police raided an address on Sefton Street in Southport on August 22, and found Adam Beesley with quantities of both heroin and cocaine, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Philip Hall said police found a stun gun which was discovered hidden in a black bag, behind a table.
The gun, which needed just 30 minutes of charging until it was fully powered, had sufficient charge on it to work and when it was activated produced loud and bright sparks, experts found.
When police discovered the weapon initially Beesley pretended the gun was a flashlight.
However as he was arrested and then charged, Beesley blurted out: "I've got a live firearm here, lad."
Police found 14 wraps of cocaine worth £140, and 27 bags of heroin, weighing 6.56 grams, valued at £270 in the house.
Two sets of scales, snap bags and a tick list were also uncovered, along with a number of mobile phones.
The court heard how the Sefton man told police he "didn't think the stun gun was illegal" and even added that he had once stunned himself before.
In regards to the drugs found Beesley said he had started to use cocaine and got into debt of £5,000 and so turned to low level street dealing to find the money that he owed.
Nicola Oakdene, defending, said her client didn't have the stun gun for an "sinister motive," and had purchased it off the internet, he claimed for £12, without a charger.
She added: "He was brought up in the care system since the age of 13, he said his mother didn't want him at home, and described himself as a problem child... he was the black sheep of the family."
Beesley, who has paranoid schizophrenia, has 22 previous convictions and in 2013 was sentenced to 26 months in prison for sexual assault on an underage girl.
He admitted possession of drugs with intent to supply, and possession of a disguised firearm.
He also pleaded guilty to failing to update police with some of his changed personal details.
Judge David Aubrey, QC, jailed Beesley for five-and-a-half years.
