Toukley: Gregory Peter Hart, 30, sentenced to jail for taser, OC spray, baton and knife

A career criminal started sweating bullets when police pulled him over for a late night vehicle check because he was armed with a small arsenal of weapons and a lock picking set, a court heard.

Gregory Peter Hart, 30, of Mannering Park, was stopped at Toukley in August 2024 and found with a variety of weapons including OC spray, extendible baton and a taser disguised as a torch. Picture: Supplied

When police pulled Gregory Peter Hart over in Toukley, he knew his goose was cooked.

The 30-year-old started shaking and sweating uncontrollably as police began dismantling his feeble explanations for being out so late.

A court has heard what police didn’t know at the time — but probably suspected — was that Hart was armed to the jacket pockets with an array of weapons, along with a lock picking set, hand held power tools and almost 1.5g of meth.

Appearing via video link from custody, Hart faced Wyong Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to six counts of possessing prohibited weapons and one count of possessing drugs.

An agreed set of facts states Tuggerah Lakes Proactive Crime Team were patrolling Toukley when they pulled him over on Main Rd at 11.30pm on August 10 driving in a Toyota Echo.

Hart faced Wyong Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: Facebook

He underwent a roadside breath test, which was negative, but as police began talking to him in relation to what he was up to that night they were quickly able to “disprove his responses”.

“During this conversation, police observed the accused to become increasingly agitated causing him to physically shake and sweat profusely from his forehead,” the facts state.

He had an extendible baton and

OC spray similar to these file images.

“While speaking to the accused police observed his pupils to be dilated and his mouth to be dry which are common side effects of using prohibited drugs.”

Police asked if they could search his car and after initially being “argumentative and evasive” he eventually complied.

Officers began patting him down and found a can of capsicum spray in one jacket pocket and a small folding knife in the other, which he said was for “self defence”.

They also found a set of steel knuckle dusters, a lock picking set, various hand held power tools, a camouflage face mask and an “operational taser disguised as a torch”.

Hart had an operational taser disguised as a torch similar to this one pictured in a file photo.

Police found 0.42g of ice in a black glasses case and another resealable bag containing 1.03g of meth in his underpants when the strip searched him.

Hart’s solicitor, leading Central Coast criminal lawyer Ryan Finch, of Aubrey Brown, told the court his client risked “becoming institutionalised” and argued for a longer period on parole so he could integrate back into the community and give his rehabilitation the best prospects of success.

Magistrate Alan Railton said his biggest concern was the “taser disguised as a torch” because it had the power to shock someone who could “fall and hit their head”.

However Mr Railton said there was no suggestion any of the weapons had been used or that Hart had any specific intentions for any of the other items found in the car.

He sentenced Hart to 12 months jail with a non-parole period of six months.