A MAN who was sentenced to five years in prison for obtaining a gun during a feud with a crime clan has been added to Glasgow’s register of private landlords.

Glasgow councillors ruled Steven Hewitt was a fit and proper person to join the register after hearing no tenants had made complaints about him.

His application had been referred to the council’s licensing committee following consultation with Police Scotland.

Mr Hewitt had been required to declare details of the offence in the past but failed to do so. He had previously been added to the register in 2009, before the incident ­occurred.

The landlord, who said he was released in 2012, admitted illegal possession of a 9mm Beretta handgun and 28 rounds of ammunition, reports from 2009 reveal.

His DNA was discovered on a pair of rubber gloves recovered with the weapon.

A court heard a feud had developed between two factions in Glasgow between October and December 2007, which led to incidents of violence and vandalism.

During the trouble Mr Hewitt’s father had a shotgun presented at him, and his home in the Sandyhills area of the city came under fire.

Defence counsel Mark Moir told the High Court in Edinburgh the trouble stemmed from a road accident involving Mr Hewitt’s brother and another man “who was a member of a well-known criminal family”.

He said Mr Hewitt, then 24, had acquired a gun out of “extreme fear” for the safety of his family.

Licensing chairman Alex Wilson asked the applicant why he had never previously told the council about the incident.

He said it was an “oversight” by his ex-partner, who used to complete his paperwork.

“That’s the first time I’ve dealt with it myself. My ex-partner dealt with the paperwork,” he added. “I was asked the question in a phone call.”

The committee asked a council officer whether any complaints had been made by Mr Hewitt’s tenants over his management of his properties. “I’m unaware of any issues,” he said.

The landlord said he maintained his properties to a high standard and fixed any problems whenever tenants reported them.

He also said he carries out inspections every three months.

Mr Wilson said: “Obviously you’ve had this incident, we’re here to see if you’re a fit and proper person to hold this licence.

“There’s no complaints against you, there’s no evidence of bad management.”

When asked about the incident, Mr Hewitt said: “It was a feud involving my brother at the time.”

The committee chairman asked whether he had learned his lesson. “100%,” he responded.