Jason Khalil sentenced for having drugs, guns at North Parramatta home

A father who stashed a cache of guns, meth, cocaine, heroin and — bizarrely — council signs, at his western Sydney home broke down while being sentenced for the crimes.

North Parramatta man Jason Khalil will remain behind bars until at least the end of next year after he was busted with a haul of drugs and guns stored in his family’s Bellevue St house.

The 37-year-old father-of-two was charged on May 8, 2020, when cops

seized firearms, a slingshot, drugs and two Parramatta Council sign posts scattered throughout the property.

Strike Force Raptor detectives seized illicit substances and weapons with obliterated serial numbers — including some loaded guns — during the raid, for which Khalil was absent while he attended drug detoxification treatment at Concord Hospital.

One loaded firearm — a shortened .22 rifle with six rounds of ammunition — was wrapped in a jumper and stuffed in the lining of a couch.

Police seized a Vanguard 6.5mm bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel on top of a cupboard. The DNA on the weapon belonged to another man but Khalil’s DNA was found on the towel that elastic bands secured.

A shotgun in a black bag was also found in the garage.

More contraband was found in the home office where police found 13.22 rounds of ammunition concealed in a black box, with six rounds compatible with a rifle.

Jason Khalil was charged after a massive drug and weapon bust at North Parramatta. Picture: Facebook

A loaded revolver with another man’s DNA was found in a glove in a garage cupboard.

Cops also left with multiple illicit substances, mostly concealed in toolboxes.

They seized 139.7g of heroin, 58.41g of methamphetamine, 51.13g of cocaine, 66.44g of ecstasy found in a toolbox and 44 Naltrexone tablets, prescribed to another person.

Khalil was charged with 18 offences and pleaded guilty to eight including possessing an unregistered firearm and four counts of not keeping a firearm safely.

He later accepted guilt for offences including possessing ammunition without holding a licence and four counts of supplying a prohibited drug and possessing prohibited drugs.

Last week, Parramatta District Court heard that Khalil offended to fund his drug use, which began when he was 16 and escalated after his father died and when he divorced in 2019.

Ammunition found during the North Parramatta bust.

“The offender accepted the agreed facts and reported that he was given free access to drugs in return for storing the items,’’ Judge Sharron Norton said.

“He said he had had them for about a month. He claimed to be scared to touch the drugs or return them and expressed significant remorse.’’

She accepted the defence’s submission that it was not proved “beyond reasonable doubt” Khalil was “warehousing the items for the same person”.

“The amount of drugs was not insignificant and he had possession of them, which shows he was a trusted and important component of what appears to have been a very organised drug distribution endeavour.’’

The court heard Khalil initially started taking cocaine with his now ex-wife and his usage increased, straining their marriage. When they separated in 2018, he began smoking ice and his gambling increased.

The court heard that before their split, they spent more than he was earning, including to support his cocaine habit.

His excavation and demolition business failed and he was bankrupt and living with his mother when he was arrested during the major bust.

The arrest happened when was on bail for supplying ice after he was busted with the drugs at a Ryde service station in March 2020.

One of the guns Strike Force Raptor investigators seized.

The bust at 7-Eleven uncovered a stash of drugs in a black Ferrari bum bag on the front passenger seat of his Toyota Corolla. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a nine-month intensive correction order (IC0).

Last week, Khalil’s lawyer, John Stratton, said the offender’s mental state impaired his judgment and led him to make poor decisions.

Mr Stratton said despite failing drug detoxification programs, his client had strong family support and a genuine desire to rehabilitate. He said he could serve an ICO, which would allow him to serve his time in the community instead of jail.

However, Crown prosecutor Robert Bucksath said the fact Khalil offended just two months after being on bail for the 7-Eleven bust made it an aggravating factor and questioned his rehab prospects.

Khalil faced sentencing this week two years after the drug and weapon haul.

“He’s certainly not a young man anymore,’’ Mr Bucksath said.

“He’s in his late 30s now, so it is getting to that point where he certainly needs to make a decision about which road he wants to take … rehabilitation has less weight in these kind of matters than perhaps what it would do for a young offender, for example.’’

Justice Norton told the court Khalil had “reasonable prospects of rehabilitation” but agreed that only a full-time custodial sentence was appropriate to reflect the criminal offences.

In a letter read aloud in court, Khalil’s older brother said he was mortified about his sibling’s actions. He said his brother began hanging around with “dogdy-looking characters” and formed friendships with other ice addicts and his behaviour changed for the worst and became “no longer likeable, generous, kind bloke that he had known’’.

Throughout much of the sentence, Khalil, who appeared via audio link from Parklea jail, buried his head in his hands and wiped away tears.

He was convicted and sentenced to five years jail backdated from December 2020 but he will be eligible for parole on December 6, 2023.

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