Shannon Jeffrey, of Water Street, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of 10 months in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to a string of offences including aggravated burglary and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

The court heard Jeffrey was found in possession of the gun after she was seen driving with her headlights off in Wendouree on September 7.

She was later stopped in Marigold Street where she was found crouched over in the footwell of the passenger seat with unused cartridges by her feet. The shotgun had been shortened at both ends for easy concealment under the passenger seat.

A small amount of ice, six identification cards and two stolen nail guns were also found in the car.

Jeffrey told police she bought the gun two years ago and shortened it herself. She also said she used ice daily and kept the IDs to give to police when she was pulled over.

Six days earlier Jeffrey failed to appear in court on unrelated matters, including an aggravated burglary in August where Jeffrey and an unknown co-accused smashed a window of an Albert Street premises and ransacked the house while the victim hid.

In April Jeffrey was also charged after running a stop sign with what was believed to be ice and alcohol in her system. She refused tests.

Jeffrey’s lawyer told the court she had hit rock bottom during the eight-month offending period. She said Jeffrey fell in love with a man earlier this year, whose “toxic life” impacted on her.

She added Jeffrey, who dabbled with drugs since the age of 15, turned to ice while on the waiting list for rehabilitation services. But Jeffrey had now detoxed and sought the help from services while on remand.

In sentencing, magistrate Gregory Robinson described the offending as the “most serious kind”.

Jeffrey was also fined $1000 for the cartridges and disqualified from driving for two years. She has already served 83 days.