Aaron Elias Lloyd jailed for possessing loaded gun at Elizabeth Vale

A wanted criminal caught with a loaded gun was told he should know how dangerous it was after he was previously shot and had to give up a potential AFL career.

A father-of-four caught with a loaded gun in the same bum bag as his ID and undies was reminded by a judge who said he should have known how dangerous they are.

Aaron Elias Lloyd, 34, was once an aspiring AFL player but descended into drug use and crime after he was shot several years ago.

Lloyd was found guilty in August by Judge Timothy Heffernan in the District Court of possessing a loaded firearm.

During sentencing on Tuesday, the District Court heard police attended an Elizabeth Vale premises in March 2020.

Lloyd, who had cut off his home detention bracelet and was on the run at the time of the offence, immediately slammed the door shut upon seeing police.

Police searched the house and Holden sedan parked outside.

Inside a Nike bum bag police found a sawn-off Winchester single barrel 12-gauge shotgun, loaded with a round of ammunition and loose rounds of ammunition.

The gun found in Lloyd’s bum bag. Photo: Courts SA

The Nike bum bag where the loaded gun was found. Picture: Court SA

A pair of Lloyd’s underwear which was also found in the Nike bum bag. Picture: Courts SA

The court heard Lloyd’s underwear, socks and wallet with bank cards and identification were also found in the bum bag, as well as a camouflage balaclava.

“You gave evidence at your trial … that you had lost your wallet and your bumbag in which the weapon and the ammunition were located,” Judge Heffernan said.

Judge Heffernan said he rejected this explanation, saying by Lloyd’s own admission his bum bag was an essential item he took everywhere.

The court heard police also found a battery pack inside the house that had the words ‘Lloydie F*** The Police Werner 156590 DCS’ written on it.

Lloyd’s battery pack found inside the house. Picture: Courts SA

Aaron Lloyd was found guilty of possessing a firearm. Photo: Facebook

Judge Heffernan said Lloyd was an aspiring AFL football player but stopped playing several years ago after he was shot in the hip and sustained a serious injury.

Lloyd then descended into drug use and crime.

David Moen, for Lloyd, told the court during his trial he would have to be “pretty bloody stupid” to have left his identification inside the bum bag with the gun.

“My client – I’m not going to be disrespectful – he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed,” he said.

“But he’s not a person who is not worldly wise if I can put it that way, in the sense of being involved in criminal activity.

“He’s not going to be a person who puts on gloves, grabs a hold of eight cartridges, puts them into his own bag, leaves them in his own bag when he’s on the run from the police, knowing full well they are looking for him.”

Judge Heffernan said the community needed to be protected from dangerous weapons.

“You are in a better position than most people to know the dangers associated with firearms having being seriously injured when you were shot in the hip several years ago,” he said.

Adding on a previous sentence Lloyd is currently serving, Judge Heffernan sentenced him to eight years and one month jail, with a non-parole period of four years and 11 months.