A SERIES of events has landed a Wangolina man in jail after a simple disorderly behaviour charge led to police discovering the offender was not complying with firearm regulations.
Damien James Shepherd, 23, appeared via video-link in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for disorderly behaviour, resisting police, drink driving and a series of firearms charges.
The defendant found himself in trouble with the law for the first time in his life on July 29 when he ran at a police vehicle and hit the bonnet.
He was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly behaviour and was ordered by police to surrender his firearms the following day.
When he was released from police custody, Shepherd returned to his vehicle and was stopped by police shortly after for a driver screening test.
The test revealed the defendant was over the legal blood alcohol limit.
In the following days, Shepherd failed to hand in two registered firearms and attended the Kingston Police Station to inform them he was still looking for the guns.
Police eventually attended the defendant’s property and found a safe in the lounge room that was not secured to the building.
Shepherd was failing to comply with his licence by not having the safe secured.
Police searched the safe and found a loaded unregistered firearm, which constitutes the most serious firearm offence.
His two registered firearms are still unaccounted for and Magistrate Teresa Anderson raised concerns they could have fallen into the wrong hands.
Shepherd was arrested on August 7 for the offending, however was released on home detention bail days later.
On September 16, the defendant cut off the bracelet because he knew he was about to go into custody.
The court heard Shepherd left the home detention bail address to visit another property because he wanted to spend time with his dog.
Shepherd was sentenced to a total of 12 months and 28 days with a five month non-parole period backdated to commence on September 17.
He was also convicted and fined $2100 and his driver’s licence was disqualified for four months and 10 days.
