Man avoids time behind bars over dangerous weapons offer
Magistrate: “Criminals get them and cut them down and then they become extraordinarily serious weapons used in robberies, in murders.”
Bundaberg
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A man has avoided spending time behind bars after he offered to supply someone with a pump action shot gun.
Christopher David Howard, 42, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Wednesday to a number of offences including unlawful supply of a category C/E weapon and driving with a drug present in his saliva.
The court heard Howard offered to supply someone with a pump action shot gun in February 2019.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Grant Klaassen told the court Howard had been dealt with in court previously for weapon offences.
Howard’s lawyer Rian Dwyer told the court his client only offered to supply the weapon and that there was no actual supply involved.
Mr Dwyer said the offence was also not one of violence.
In relation to Howard’s drug use, Mr Dwyer told the court his client turned to drugs a few years ago after his home burnt down and following the death of his father.
He said Howard had weaned his drug use down and was taking steps to curb his problems.
Magistrate Athol Kennedy told Howard that a pump action shotgun was “incomparable” to the knuckledusters and taser mentioned in his criminal history.
“They (pump action shotgun’s) were supposed to be handed in after Port Arthur 21 years ago,” he said.
“They’re serious weapons, criminals get them and cut them down and then they become extraordinary serious weapons used in robberies, in murders.”
Mr Kennedy warned Howard that the next step for him if he continued offending was jail.
Howard was sentenced to eight months imprisonment with immediate parole.
He was also disqualified from driving for six months.
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