Strike Force Raptor: Ryan Felton, Garth Hayes, Matthew Wyatt face court over firearm charges
One of three men charged with firearm offences after a raid by heavily armed Strike Force Raptor officers at Woy Woy in June has successfully applied for bail.
Central Coast
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A man who was on parole when heavily armed Strike Force Raptor officers stormed a house at Woy Woy and seized a shortened rifle, gun components and ammunition — along with outlaw bikie paraphernalia — has been granted bail.
Ryan Felton, 29, of Kincumber, was one of three men to face Gosford Local Court on Friday, November 6, charged with breaching a Firearm Prohibition Order (FPO).
Garth Bradley Hayes, 50, of Woy Woy, also appeared at court charged with breaching a FPO, three counts of possessing a firearm, not taking all reasonable precautions to ensure a firearm was kept safely and possessing ammunition without a licence.
He had previously been granted bail.
The case involving a third man, Matthew Wyatt, 37, of Umina Beach, charged with breaching a FPO and possessing a firearm and ammunition was also mentioned but he was not required to appear via video link.
As part of the ongoing targeting and disruption of criminal networks, police from the State Crime Command’s Criminal Groups Squad Strike Force Raptor conducted a FPO search at a home at Woy Woy just before midday on June 12.
During the search, officers seized two shortened firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, an amount of GBL, mobile phones and outlaw motorcycle gang paraphernalia.
The court heard Mr Felton had been in custody since his arrest at the scene and was later charged with breaching a FPO and being in possession of a shortened firearm, which had its serial number removed, without a permit.
His Legal Aid solicitor Lucyn Manookian told the court Mr Felton made admissions to being at the premises when police arrived but his DNA was not found on any of the items seized except a mobile phone.
She said any risk to community safety could be mitigated by strict bail conditions, including living at St Marys in Sydney’s west.
She said he also had a job lined up with an excavation and concreting business upon release.
The Crown prosecutor opposed bail, telling the court he “has links to (an) outlaw motorcycle gang”.
She said he was on FPO at the time and one of the firearm components was located in the open on a coffee table.
However Magistrate Mijovich said it “seems to be a questionable prosecution case” and while police “clearly observed various firearms and firearm parts” it was not clear from the facts what component was found on top of the coffee table.
He said there was a firearm stock found under the coffee table, three shotgun shells in a black bag and a shortened .22 rifle in a jacket but “at its highest the only thing I have (visible) is a component”.
He said Mr Felton, who was on parole at the time, “appears to have criminal associations” to an outlaw motorcycle gang given the paraphernalia found at the property.
Magistrate Mijovich granted Mr Felton strict conditional bail that he reside in Sydney, report daily to St Marys Police Station, abide by a curfew and not enter Woy Woy or contact any of the co-accuseds.
All three men were adjourned to December 4 for charge certification.