Brandon Dale Walker jailed after Lonsdale raid uncovered guns, ammunition

A man was already out on bail when he agreed to hide illegal guns and ammo across his house in order to pay off a drug debt.

A 30-year-old man has been sent to prison after he agreed to pay off a drug debt by storing illegal firearms at his house.

Brandon Dale Walker, from Willyaroo, near Strathalbyn, was out on bail and serving a suspended sentence when STAR Group officers raided a Lonsdale property and uncovered firearms and ammunition stashed throughout the house. He pleaded guilty to various firearm charges.

Appearing in the District Court on Monday in front of Judge Paul Muscat, Peter Hill, for Walker, submitted his client was “clearly at a fork in the road” when the offending took place.

Brandon Walker was arrested in July 2023. Picture: Facebook

“Clearly this offending is connected to his illicit drug use and one only needs to look at the pictures of his living arrangements at the time of this offending,” Mr Hill said. “They are certainly consistent with someone suffering from a drug addiction.

“There are some underlying psychological issues which need to be addressed and certainly those underlying psychological issues, in addition to the drug use, has been a toxic combination which has resulted in a significant criminal history.”

On July 19, 2023, police officers searched Walker’s home where they located a sawn-off double-barrel shotgun in the tray of a Holden ute.

It was alleged the shotgun was stolen from its registered owner during a trespass in 2015, but it’s not suggested Walker was the one who stole it.

Firearms and drugs were seized at the Lonsdale property. Picture: SA Police

A .22 calibre pistol was also found in the ceiling, alongside a quantity of ammo including 74 rounds of .22 calibre bullets, 27 rounds of 7mm calibre bullets and six 12-gauge shotgun cartridges.

Judge Muscat said Walker’s “very serious” offending came after he accumulated a significant drug debt after the death of a close friend.

“This tragic event led you to get back into drugs to deal with the grief associated with his passing,” Judge Muscat said.

“You soon accumulated a heavy debt to your drug dealer and to assist with partially discharging some of what you owed, you agreed to store firearms and ammunition at your home.

“What also aggravates your offending is the fact that you were subject to a partially suspended sentence at the time, as well as being subject to a bail agreement.

“You have had leniency extended to you either in the form of wholly or partially suspended sentences of imprisonment which you inevitably would breach. You have not taken advantage of the many sentences imposed upon you to reform your criminal behaviour (and) I assess your prospects of rehabilitation as poor.”

Judge Muscat sentenced Walker to three years, two months and eight weeks in prison – backdated to March 16 2024.

He will be eligible for parole in 2026.

Originally published as Brandon Dale Walker jailed after Lonsdale raid uncovered guns, ammunition