Sebastopol meth lab bust, 42-y-o man arrested after attending the address hours later

Douglas Osbourne, of Eastwood Street, attended the Kent Street clandestine lab on November 3 with $100 dollar notes showing from his pocket, the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Tuesday heard.

Osbourne also had a bag strapped to his chest which contained 14grams of ice, a traffickable amount under Victorian law. A set of digital scales was also found hidden in a cigarette box.

Subsequent search warrants were then executed at Osbourne's Eastwood Street address, where two firearms were found under a barbecue, and at his mother's house where shooting targets were seen hanging from the clothesline.

Osbourne, who is prohibited from possessing guns, also told police about a double-barrelled shotgun which was in pieces they had missed. He pleaded guilty to trafficking, possessing and using ice, dealing with property suspected to be proceeds of crime and numerous gun charges.

Osbourne's lawyer, Mike Wardell, told the court his client acknowledged the combination of drugs and guns often resulted in imprisonment, but he urged the magistrate to consider placing Osbourne on a community corrections order.

He said Osbourne, who was an electrical appliance franchisee owner, had no criminal priors and recently had a "massive fall from grace". Mr Wardell said his client only began using ice over the last two years. As for the guns, he said they had been given to him after the death of a family member.

But magistrate Steven Raleigh said without evidence it was difficult to put weight on the fact the guns were given to him. He said he could also only assume Osbourne's addiction to drugs had continued with no supporting documents to suggest otherwise.

He added at this stage it left him with no option but to imprison him.

But Mr Wardell said his client had taken steps to address his drug issues.

Sentencing was adjourned until tomorrow for supporting documents to be obtained.