Alan Tonkin, owner of Victor Harbor’s Tonkins Sports, charged with firearms offences

The owner of a well-known Victor Harbor camping and business has faced court charged with owning and selling unlicensed firearms, including 12-guage shotguns.

A well-known Victor Harbor man who has run a camping and firearms business for more than five decades in the town has faced court for allegedly unlicensed firearms practises.

Alan Jeffery Tonkin, affectionately known by the community as ‘Shonky Tonks’, was charged with selling and possessing a number of firearms against the relevant licences and regulations.

Court documents released to The Advertiser show Mr Tonkin, 76, allegedly sold and possessed 12-guage shotguns, hunting rifles, various calibre handguns and air rifles.

Alan Jeffery Tonkin, 76, was featured on the cover of Coast Lines magazine in 2018. Picture: Coast Lines Magazine

Mr Tonkin is known for his business Tonkins Sports, located on Ocean St in Victor Harbor, which sells firearms, fishing, camping equipment and more, according to its Facebook page.

He is also listed as a life member of the Victor Harbor Cricket Club.

A Fleurieu Peninsula magazine called Coast Lines in 2018 ran a feature on Mr Tonkin, with the headline ‘The Man They Call Shonky Tonks’ while inside describing it as a term he “finds endearing”.

Mr Tonkin is charged with 27 counts of possessing various categories of firearms without a licence, eight counts of supplying a prescribed firearm to an unlicensed person, an aggravated count of possessing a firearm without licence, an aggravated count of possessing a sound modifier and one count of contravening a provision of the code of practice.

He is yet to enter a plea to all 38 counts.

On Tuesday, Mr Tonkin appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court before Magistrate Simon Smart to apply to vary his bail to allow him to travel to India.

The court heard Mr Tonkin was intending to travel for “business opportunities” as his charges and bail agreement impacted Tonkins Sports and his ability to continue trading in firearms.

“He has run the business for 56 years, the most significant part of the business is the firearms part, which he has been precluded from running as a result of bail conditions since he was charged,” counsel for Mr Tonkin said.

Mr Tonkin is listed as a life member of the Victor Harbour Cricket Club and was born and raised in the area. Picture: Victor Harbor Cricket Club

“To his credit, your Honour, he’s maintained all his employees even though business has plummeted and what he intends to do is investigate opportunities to grow the other side of the business.

“By travelling to India apparently there are some opportunities for purchasing, importing various things.”

Mr Tonkins counsel told the court that he conceded the charges against his client were serious, but the context was important to note.

“While the offending is serious … the backdrop is, at the age of 76, he has fallen behind the mandatory requirements, might be the easiest way to say this,” he said.

Mr Smart remanded Mr Tonkin on simple bail, with permission to travel to India for business, and the matter will return to court in January.