Zara Dawn Stander: Grafton woman pleads guilty to firearm, cannabis charges after car search

Police uncovered illegal firearms and an assortment of ammo stashed throughout a Grafton mum’s car. Now, she’s faced court.

Zara Stander faced Grafton Local Court.

Police uncovered a trove of illegal gel blasters, firearms ammo and cannabis when they searched a northern NSW mum’s car.

South Grafton woman Zara Stander faced Grafton Local Court on Monday.

The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to a string of charges including two counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm, two counts of possessing ammunition without a permit and possessing 7g of cannabis.

Zara Stander outside Grafton Local Court.

Stander (also referred to by the surname Whitney in court documents) was busted by police on February 23.

She was on conditional bail for unrelated matters when police were granted a search warrant to raid her home, the documents reveal.

Officers arrived at Stander’s address and she was leaving in a car, but was stopped a short time later, the court heard.

“When informed that her vehicle would be subjected to a search, (she) became irate and questioned the police powers to do so,” police facts state.

Police found numerous rounds of .22 calibre ammunition in a black sunglasses bag in the car’s front passenger side door and cannabis in the glove box.

Zara Stander outside the court.

They also found a blue Adidas bag in the boot”, which contained two gel blaster pistols and a leather belt holding 14 shotgun shells.

Police then uncovered a black bag in the boot containing numerous rounds of .22 calibre and .223 Remington ammunition, the court was told.

Magistrate Juliana Crofts said the offending was “very serious” and a sentencing assessment report should be prepared.

Stander is due to be sentenced at Tweed Heads Local Court on June 5.