Nowra: David Khourey charged with possessing multiple prohibited weapons

A south coast man has been busted stashing a number of homemade weapons from crossbows to slingshots, as well as multiple live rounds of ammunition in his bedroom, a court has heard.

David Khourey leaving Nowra Local Court on Tuesday.

A south coast man busted stashing multiple homemade weapons from crossbows to hunting slingshots, as well as live ammunition in his bedroom, has admitted to owning and constructing the illegal items during a court appearance.

Vincentia man Daniel Khourey pleaded guilty to all charges at the Nowra Local Court on Tuesday, including possessing ammunition without a permit, possessing a firearm barrel and six counts of possessing a prohibited weapon.

The 49-year-old was busted with the weapons while bunking at his friend’s Sanctuary Point home in April last year, after officers attached to the South Coast Police District searched a bedroom the owner of the house confirmed was Khourey’s.

Documents tendered to the court reveal the police search occurred due to the owner of the Sanctuary Point home being given a Firearms Prohibition Order by NSW Police in 2022.

Agreed facts state during the search of Khourey’s bedroom, officers located an Air Rifle barrel on the floor, homemade blowgun made from drain pipes, spray paint bottle and other tubing on the back patio, a factory manufactured crossbow as well as a homemade crossbow made from a firearm stock.

They also seized a metal rod and elastic bands hidden under a pile of clothes, a laser pointer with a range of more than 500m, a “Saunders Falcon” hunting slingshot and a homemade slingshot also found on the floor.

David Khourey pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition without a permit, possessing a firearm barrel and six counts of possessing a prohibited weapon. Â

Police also located multiple pouches of ammunition, including eight live rounds for a .308 calibre on the floor, 18 live rounds of 32-20 Winchester ammo in a bedroom drawer and a single 12 gauge shotgun shell on the patio.

Documents reveal investigations lasted 11 months before police contacted Khourey for an interview on March 7 this year.

David Khourey will return to Nowra Local Court on July 16 for sentencing.

It was during this interview that Khourey was “honest and blunt” with police, admitting to owning all the items, explaining where he got them and conceding they were illegal.

Khourey was charged and issued a court attendance notice.

In Nowra Local Court on Tuesday, Khourey’s lawyer Rosemarie Lambert gave Magistrate Lisa Viney a brief rundown of the items police seized after the multiple guilty pleas were entered.

Ms Viney said, given the facts and the seriousness of the items discovered by police, that a sentencing assessment report would need to be completed before she could determine the appropriate punishment.

Khourey’s matter was adjourned to July 16 for sentencing.

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