Descendants bikie Mark Barford and son Adam plead guilty to firearms offences over loaded gun disguised as Christmas present
An outlaw bikie has admitted disguising a loaded gun as a Christmas present – and to asking his son to stuff the weapon down the toilet when police knocked.
Police & Courts
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An outlaw bikie has admitted disguising a loaded gun as a Christmas present – and to asking his son to stuff the weapon down the toilet when police knocked on the door.
In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Descendants bikie Mark Barford pleaded guilty to multiple firearms offences over the pre-Christmas 2019 offending.
His son, Adam, also pleaded guilty to following his dad’s instructions to hide the gun – wrapped in both Christmas paper and a sock – down their toilet’s S-bend.
However, both men pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking over a quantity of 67g of methylamphetamine allegedly found in a Tupperware container under their water tank.
On Tuesday, Magistrate Elizabeth Sheppard ordered Mark Barford stand trial on that allegation, but dismissed the charge against Adam.
She said she believed there was only a “slim case” against the younger man, based on a police officer’s claim he heard the family’s back door open and close.
That was, she said, not enough to order he go before a jury.
The Barfords, 57 and 20, were arrested on December 14, 2019, after SA Police attended their Modbury North home.
Officers were serving a firearms prohibition notice upon Mark Barford – who has previously told the court he joined the Descendants when they were “more of a motorcycle club”.
He was not home at the time, and officers rang his mobile number to ask him to return.
During that conversation, they heard Mark Barford tell Adam to remove a black and gold present from under their Christmas tree and hide it in the toilet.
Police entered the house, caught the younger man putting the gun in the toilet and arrested him – his father was arrested upon his return.
On Tuesday, Ms Sheppard remanded both men on continuing bail to face the District Court in June, when a date for sentencing submissions will be said.
It is likely those submissions will not be heard until after Mark Barford’s trial on the trafficking charge.
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