Chloe Jayne Town, 23, sentenced in Toowoomba for peddling stolen gun

A semi-automatic weapon, stolen then sold in a black market deal, has been uncovered in a public park bin.

Chloe Jayne Town, 23, has faced Toowoomba District Court after selling a stolen 0.22 calibre semi-automatic handgun. Picture: NewsCorp Australia

A young woman who sold a stolen semi-automatic weapon unknowingly exposed her criminal activity in a recorded phone call to jail.

Chloe Jayne Town, 23, has faced Toowoomba District Court after selling a .22 calibre semi-automatic handgun on behalf of a group of men who stole the firearm, alongside others, from a Toowoomba home in 2022.

The young woman, represented by barrister Scott Lynch on instructions from Skuse Graham Criminal Lawyers, formally pleaded guilty to unlawfully supplying a category H weapon.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald told the court Ms Town was contacted by one of the men shortly after the burglary and had immediately offered help in distributing the stolen weapons.

“She did so by responding to the person involved in burglary and theft – ‘I can sell one of them’ … ‘I could probably get you like $5000 plus cash for it now’,” Ms Friedewald said.

The prosecutor said Ms Town had evidently sold the gun for $6000, and had revealed as much in a recorded phone call to a person in custody.

Chloe Jayne Town, 23, has faced Toowoomba District Court after selling a stolen 0.22 calibre semi-automatic handgun. Picture: Supplied.

“She said (to the person in custody) that ‘the boys had come through with a bang’ and they had a ‘hand’ that she wanted to keep because ‘it looked good’; however she assisted the boys in selling it to another person,” Ms Friedewald said.

The gun, uncovered by police a short time later in a Toowoomba park bin, had since been returned to its lawful owner.

“This was an attempt to promote further illegal activity in the community by this defendant,” Ms Friedewald said.

“Fortunately (the gun) has been recovered, it is longer in the hands of those who may use it in unlawful ways.”

At the time of the offence, Ms Town was subject to a 15 month probation order for an unrelated charge.

She also spent 137 days in custody for an offence which post dated the gun sale.

Mr Lynch stressed Ms Town had since learned the error of her ways.

“The offending occurred in the context of her being homeless and using drugs and in bad company,” Mr Lynch said.

“Since serving time, she has worked earnestly to rehabilitate, she’s severed ties.

“She’s now abstinent.”

Judge Dennis Lynch KC acknowledged Ms Town had shown promise in her efforts to rehabilitate.

“I’m going to take a chance,” Mr Lynch said.

“It would have been easy, really, for me to say ‘well this is such a serious offence you should go and serve some more time’ but I’m going to take that chance because you’ve made a genuine effort (to better your life).”

Ms Town was sentenced to two years imprisonment and granted immediate parole with 45 days of pre-sentence custody declared.