Durong drug raid uncovers guns, ammo, cannabis plants
A Durong man faced court after police swooped in on his home and uncovered multiple firearms and drugs. DETAILS:
Police & Courts
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A Durong man has narrowly avoided jail after he was caught in possession of firearms, ammunition, dangerous drugs while already serving a probation order.
Brett Roland Burke pleaded guilty to one count of possessing ammunition, one count of possessing shortened firearms, one count of producing dangerous drugs, one count of unlawfully possessing category A weapons and one count of breaching a probation order.
On December 15, 2020 at 1.30pm police executed a search warrant at a Durong address where they found three rifles, a box of ammunition and two cannabis plants.
Police prosecutor senior sergeant Pepe Gangemi submitted for a suspended prison sentence.
Burke was represented by Mandy Reid from Anthea Law who said her client has had some issues with probation.
"With regards to the breach of probation, my client states that he had some issues with probation, he says that a lot of that was that he continued to get given different probation officers every time he was in there and he struggles with that concept," Ms Reid said.
"I'm instructed your honour that my client has some anger issues from some traumatic events that happened early in his life.
"He has been moving forward to set himself with a better life, he has a doctor's appointment for a self assessment for a psych report, he also currently has just had his drivers licence returned, he also now has a full time job."
Magistrate Andrew Sinclair said he took into account the guilty pleas.
"It's a pity you didn't succeed on probation, Magistrate Sinclair said."
For breaching probation Burke was convicted and fined $500.
He was fined $1000 and sentenced to one month imprisonment to be served concurrently for each weapon offence, suspended for 12 months.
For producing cannabis he was fined $350 and for the ammunition he was convicted and not further punished.
All items sized items were to be forfeited and convictions were recorded on all charges.
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