A magistrate has given a man a more severe sentence because he had firearms in his house for the purpose of criminal activity.
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Magistrate Ron Saines said firearms were at the heart of the most dangerous and serious crimes in Victoria.
"Your offending seeks to undermine and subvert government and community intentions that we not be a firearms type society," he told accused man William Morley on Monday.
"We are not the USA."
Morley pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court in January to having firearms, some with sawn off barrels and serial numbers ground off, ammunition and drugs in his home.
We are not the USA.
- Magistrate Ron Saines
He first came to police attention in October 2020 when he was found with pepper spray and almost five grams of the drug ice in Maryborough.
Police executed a search warrant at his property in November while his partner and two children were home.
They found two shotguns and shotgun cartridges, two sawn off shotgun barrels, cannabis, methamphetamine, a detonation cable for an explosive, a 0.22 calibre rifle and 0.22 calibre ammunition.
Some of the firearms were listed as stolen during burglaries in October.
Mr Saines said the firearm possession offence was aggravated because Morley was a prohibited person, was on bail at the time, the firearms had been stolen from two locations in burglaries and he had a significant supply of ammunition.
"Your possession of the firearms in less than a week of the burglary mean you are almost certain to have been involved in it or directly associated with the person who did it," he said.
Mr Saines said the firearms were found in association with the possession of illicit drugs, serial numbers had been ground off and shotguns shortened, supporting a conclusion no other than high level criminality.
He said there was also no lawful explanation for the possession of the explosives equipment.
"The need for punishment, denunciation and a message of deterrence is great," Mr Saines said.
"The court must also have regard to rehabilitation... I am satisfied if you can remain free of illicit drug use you are less likely to offend and be a danger in our community."
Morley was sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment. He has served 90 days in pre-sentence detention.
He will commence a community corrections order upon his release with requirements he undergo treatment and rehabilitation programs for drug abuse and mental health issues.
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