Dalby man Jack Douglas William Watson faces court after police found a rifle in his car when he was pulled over

A drover who mounted a public road for 15m to avoid a wet patch on a private property has faced court over a rifle that police found after they pulled over his vehicle.

Dalby man Jack Douglas William Watson has faced court after police found a rifle in his car when he was pulled over.

A 24-year-old drover has been hit with a $500 fine after police found him in possession of a rifle in Tara earlier this year.

Jack Douglas William Watson faced Dalby Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm without a licence and possession of explosives, namely ammunition.

The court was told that Watson was checking fences on a property on February 22, 2024, when police saw his vehicle without licence plates and pulled him over.

During the traffic stop the court was told police found a loaded rifle in the front seat with the safety off.

The court was told police also found 106 rounds of ammunition for the gun.

Watson’s lawyer told the court his client had borrowed the rifle from the property owner to shoot wild dogs but did not possess a licence himself.

He also said Watson had been driving the vehicle on private property but had been forced to mount the road for 15m to avoid getting bogged in a wet patch along the fence line, at which point police pulled the vehicle over for not having plates.

Magistrate Kyna Morice took into account that this was Watson’s first time before the court and issued him a $500 fine and recorded no conviction.

Watson was also required to surrender the ammunition but not the gun as it didn't belong to him.

Originally published as Dalby man Jack Douglas William Watson faces court after police found a rifle in his car when he was pulled over