Jessica Peterson, Robert Brown plead guilty to supplying guns
A man and a woman have pleaded guilty to supplying guns after the Drug and Firearm Squad’s Strike Force Colenso led to the arrest of the alleged ringleader and six others.
Central Coast
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The then-girlfriend of an alleged illegal arms dealer and a man who was introduced to him through a third party, have pleaded guilty to their roles in supplying firearms.
Jessica Lyn Peterson, 23, of Woy Woy, pleaded guilty to four counts of supplying firearms at Gosford Local Court last week.
Meanwhile her co-accused Robert Brown, 39, of South Windsor, pleaded guilty to one count of supplying a firearm and five counts of possessing prohibited weapons and ammunition on Friday.
Two sets of agreed police facts, tendered in court, state officers from the Drug and Firearm Squad commenced Strike Force Colenso in January 2019 to investigate the alleged unlawful supply of firearms by Brendon Gray, 35, of Koolewong, and his associates.
The facts state Peterson was in a relationship with Mr Gray at the time.
Using undercover officers, police arranged to purchase a shortened bolt-action single shot rifle, a Cashmore side-by-side double barrel shotgun and a Stevens/Springfield (or similar) bolt action single-shot rifle.
The facts state Peterson helped Gray put the guns in the boot of her car and she drove him from his Koolewong address to the Bayview Hotel at Woy Woy about 1pm on October 3.
When they arrived they got out and spoke to the undercover officers “about the logistics of how the supply would take place” before the officer drove his car up to the boot of her car.
“In exchange for the firearms, the known persons gave Gray $2100,” the facts state.
“Gray also informed the known persons that there were missing parts from two of the firearms but they would be supplied on the next occasion.”
Meanwhile Brown was introduced to Gray through a third party and agreed to supply Gray a .22 calibre Bryco Arms Jennings J-22 self loading pistol with the serial number obliterated on October 12.
The Police facts state Gray paid $500 for the pistol on the promise of a further $2500 once he on-sold it.
On October 16 last year Peterson picked Gray up from his house and drove him to Adcock Memorial Park at West Gosford.
Police allege Gray had the pistol and the missing parts to the other three guns and that he supplied an undercover officer the weapons in exchange for $7100.
He later transferred $1000 into Brown’s account.
On November 7 police arrested Peterson at her Woy Woy address and Gray outside Hornsby Local Court.
She was taken to Gosford Police Station where the facts state she participated in a recorded interview and denied the offending.
Gray was taken to Hornsby Police Station where he was charged with 22 offences including; police pursuit — not stop — drive dangerously, drive while disqualified, aggravated breaking and entering, deal with the proceeds of crime and 14 firearm related offences.
Police charge sheets alleged Gray supplied firearms on eight occasions, and firearms parts on three occasions, between March and October 2019, receiving more than $58,000.
Police raided Brown’s South Windsor address on December 17 and seized a flick knife, inert 36MK 1 grenade, replica grenade, nine empty magazines cartridges and 372 rounds of ammunition.
He was taken to Windsor Police Station where he was electronically interviewed.
“The offender made full and frank admissions,” the facts state.
Peterson will Face Gosford District Court on October 1 to fix a date for sentencing while Brown will face the same court on October 8.
Gray has not entered any pleas and is back before Gosford Local Court on October 9.
A further six people from Dubbo, Batemans Bay and across Sydney were also charged in a series of raids by Strike Force Colenso investigators and remain before the courts.