A Jindera farmer who securely locked 15 firearms in a gun safe inside a fortified room in his house ended up breaking the law by giving another to his unlicensed son. Albury Local Court has also heard how Michael John Lopez was found to have breached his responsibilities when police who searched his home found a .22 rifle leaning against the safe door. This weapon was fitted with an illegal suppressor, or silencer, which Lopez explained was used to avoid annoying nearby neighbours during the shooting of vermin on his property. IN OTHER NEWS: Some ammunition was also recovered by police outside of the safe. Police had gone to Lopez's property over an unrelated matter. Defence lawyer Mark Cronin told Sally McLaughlin that Lopez needed the assistance of his son - who he knew had not been licensed since 1998 - to control vermin on the farm. The son lived in a shed-type house about 250 metres from his father's house. Lopez, 79, pleaded guilty to a series of charges including allowing an unauthorised person to possess a firearm, not have approved storage and possess or use a prohibited weapon without a permit. MORE COURT STORIES The court was told Lopez had 16 firearms stored in his house, 15 of those registered to him and one owned by his son. Police said it was in the week of January 1 that Lopez gave his Winchester .22 rifle and "a number of ammunition rounds" to his son to shoot vermin. The son stored the gun under the ensemble base of a mattress. They went to Lopez's home on January 12. He unlocked a room inside the house where he stored all his ammunition and guns in a firearms safe. While in the room they saw Lopez's .22 rifle leaning on the door of the gun safe with "a suppressor attached to the barrel". They then found a box of .22 rimfire, or bird shot, ammunition on top of the ammunition safe. Police seized the 16 firearms, all ammunition and Lopez's firearms licence. Ms McLaughlin told Lopez this was a serious example of such offending. She placed him on a nine-month conditional release order and convicted and fined him $1350. To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: